Y  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


BRADFORD,  N:  H. 


KEGULATIOXS. 

No  book  or  other  property  belonging  to  the  Li- 
rary  shall  be  taken  from  the  Library  room  without 
the  consent,  of  the  Librarian 

Any  person  entitled  to  Libarary  privileges,  who 
shall  take  any  book  from  the  Library  room  without 
allowing  the  usual  record  to  be  made  of  the  loan  of 
such  book,  shall  be  fined  one  dollar. 

No  person  shall  loan  any  book  belonging  to  the 
Library  to  anyone  outside  of  bis  own  household, 
under  penalty  of  forfeiture  of  Library  card. 

Rooks  must  not  be  kept  out  more  than  three 
weeks,  under  penalty  of  two  cents  per  day  for  the 
additional  time;  and  if  not  returned  at  the  end  of 
five  weeks;  the  person  holding  them  shall  pav  all 
expenses  incurred  in  sending  for  the  same. 

Borrowers  owing  a  fine  shall  forfeit  all  privileges 
of  the  Library  until  such  fine  is  paid. 

Anyone  losing  or  injuring  a  book  shall  replace  it 
with  one  of  equal  value,  or  pay  the  Librarian  for  the 
same,  as  he  shall  determine. 

Books  simply  left  at  the  room  will  not  be  con 
sidered  as  returned. 

The  detection  of  any  person  in  marking,  writing 
in  or  otherwise  defacing  any  book  or  catalogue 
belonging  to  the  library,  will  be  followed  by  immed 
iate  forfeiture  of  all  privileges  in  the  Library  Such 
injury  to  any  book  or  property  of  the  Library  is 
punishable  bv  fine  and  imprisonment,  and  the  trus 
tees  will  prosecute  for  all  offences. 

CIO*,'.  No. 


\ 


portrait . 


i 


LtTH  CF  SABOHY.HAIOA  *  KH/U>f*.*+)    B 


•*Mr.M  .v 


'//«-(f  ij-  rifitjuruf  mttdcrn.  ire  the  face  or 
o/'thisr  fiffiw .  'She  /rncf/it  have  vteppect  oid   of 
JVormantfy   ft  rr/ihtrv  <ifjn.  "  fllfrff  /JO. 


AOADIA; 


OB, 


A  MONTH  WITH  THE  BLUE  NOSES. 


DY 


FREDERIC   S.   COZZENS, 

AUTHOR  OF  "SPARROW  GRASS  PAPERS,*' 


This  is  Arcadia— this  the  laud 

That  weary  souls  have  sighed  for  ; 

This  is  Arcadia— this  the  land 

Heroic  hearts  have  died  for  : 

Yet,  strange  to  tell,  this  promised  land 

Has  never  been  applied  for ! 

PORTER. 


NEW  YORK  :    . 

DERBY  &  JACKSON,  119  NASSAU  STREET. 
1859. 

0  ; 

DAVIS 


ENTSRSD  accenting  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 
FREDERIC    S.    COZZENS, 

1ft  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern  District  ot 
N*vr  Yv-rk. 


W.  H.  TINSOS,  Stereotyper.  G*o.  RUHSELL  A  Co.,  PrintoM. 


PKEFACE. 


As  I  have  a  sort  of  religion  in  literature,  believing 
that  no  author  can  justly  intrude  upon  the  public 
without  feeling  that  his  writings  may  be  of  some 
benefit  to  mankind,  I  beg  leave  to  apologize  for  this 
little  book.  I  know,  no  critic  can  tell  me  better  than 
I  know  myself,  how  much  it  falls  short  of  what 
might  have  been  done  by  an  abler  pen.  Yet  it  is 
something — an  index,  I  should  say,  to  something 
better.  The  French  in  America  may  sometime 
find  a  champion.  For  my  own  part,  I  would  that 
the  gentler  principles  which  governed  them,  and 
the  English  under  "William  Penn,  and  the  Dutch 
under  the  enlightened  rule  of  the  States  General, 
had  obtained  here,  instead  of  the  narrower,  the  more 
penurious,  and  most  proscriptive  policy  of  their 
neighbors. 

J  am  indebted  to  Judge  Haliburton's  "  History  of 
Nova  Scotia"  for  the  main  body  of  historical  facts  in 
this  volume.  Let  me  acknowledge  my  obligations. 
His  researches  and  impartiality  are  most  creditable, 
and  worthy  of  respect  and  attention.  I  have  also 
drawn  as  liberally  as  time  and  space  would  permit 

8 


IV  PREFACE. 

from  chronicles  contemporary  with  the  events  of 
those  early  days,  as  well  as  from  a  curious  collection 
of  items  relating  to  the  subject,  cut  from  the  London 
newspapers  a  hundred  years  ago,  and  kindly  fur 
nished  me  by  Geo.  P.  Putnam,  Esq.  These  are 
always  the  surest  guides.  To  Mrs.  Kate  Williams, 
of  Providence,  R.  I.,  I  am  indebted  also.  Her  story 
of  the  "Neutral  French,"  no  doubt,  inspired  the 
author  of  the  most  beautiful  pastoral  in  the  lan 
guage.  The  "Evangeline"  of  Longfellow,  and 
the  "  Pauline"  of  this  lady's  legend,  are  pictures 
of  the  same  individual,  only  drawn  by  different 
hands. 

A  word  in  regard  to  the  two  Acadian  portraits. 
These  are  literal  ambrotypes,  to  which  Sarony  has 
added  a  few  touches  of  his  artistic  crayon.  It  may 
interest  the  reader  to  know  that  these  are  the  first, 
the  only  likenesses  of  the  real  Evangelines  of  Aca- 
dia.  The  women  of  Chezzetcook  appear  at  day 
break  in  the  city  of  Halifax,  and  as  soon  as  the  sun 
is  up  vanish  like  the  dew.  They  have  usually  a 
basket  of  fresh  eggs,  a  brace  or  two  of  worsted  socks, 
a  bottle  of  fir-balsam  to  sell.  These  comprise  their 
simple  commerce.  When  the  market-bell  rings  you 
find  them  not.  To  catch  such  fleeting  phantoms, 
and  to  transfer  them  to  the  frontispiece  of  a  book 
published  here,  is  like  painting  the  burnished  wings 
of  a  humming-bird.  A  friend,  however,  undertook 
the  task.  He  rose  before  the  sun,  he  bought  eggs, 
worsted  socks,  and  fir-balsam  of  the  Acadians.  By 
constant  attentions  he  became  acquainted  with  a 


PREFACE.  V 

pair  of  Acadian  women,  niece  and  aunt.  Then  he 
proposed  the  matter  to  them : 

"  I  want  you  to  go  with  me  to  the  daguerreotype 
gallery." 

"What  for?" 

"  To  have  your  portraits  taken." 

"What  for?" 

"  To  send  to  a  friend  in  New  York." 

"What  for?" 

"  To  be  put  in  a  book." 

"What  for?" 

"  Never  mind  <  what  for,'  will  you  go  ?" 

Aunt  and  niece — both  together  in  a  breath — 
"No." 

So  my  friend,  who  was  a  wise  man,  wrote  to  the 
priest  of  the  settlement  of  Chezzetcook,  to  explain 

the  "  what  for,"  and  the  consequence  was our 

portraits !  But  these  women  had  a  terrible  time  at 
the  head  of  the  first  flight  of  stairs.  Not  an  inch 
would  these  shy  creatures  budge  beyond.  At  last, 
the  wife  of  the  operator  induced  them  to  rise  to  the 
high  flight  that  led  to  the  Halifax  skylight,  and 
there  they  were  painted  by  the  sun,  as  we  see  them 
now. 

Nothing  morel  Ring  the  bell,  prompter,  and 
draw  the  curtain. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Vague  Rumors  of  Nova  Scotia — A  Fortnight  upon  Salt  Water- 
Interesting  Sketch  of  the  Atlantic — Halifax ! — Determine  to  stay 
in  the  Province — Province  Building  and  Pictures — Coast  Scenery 
— Liberty  in  Language,  and  Aspirations  of  the  People — Evange- 
line  and  Relics  of  Acadia — Market-Place — The  Encampment  at 
Point  Pleasant— Kissing  Bridge— Tho.  "  Himalaya  "—A  Sabbath 
in  a  Garrison  Town — Grand  Celebration  of  the  Peace,  and  Natal 
Day  of  Halifax— And  a  Hint  of  a  Visit  to  Chezzetcook 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

Fog  clears  up — The  One  Idea  not  comprehended  by  the  American 
Mind — A  June  Morning  in  the  Province — The  Beginning  of  the 
Evangeliad — Intuitive  Perception  of  Genius — The  Forest  Prime 
val — Acadian  Peasants — A  Negro  Settlement — Deer's  Castle — 
The  Road  to  Chezzetcook — Acadian  Scenery — A  Glance  at  the 
Early  History  of  Acadia — First  Encroachments  of  the  English — 
The  Harbor  and  Village  of  Chezzetcook,  etc.,  etc 84 

CHAPTER  III. 

A  Romp  at  Three  Fathom  Harbor — The  Moral  Condition  of  the 
Acadians— The  Wild  Flowers  of  Nova  Scotia— Mrs.  Deer's  Wit— 


viii  CONTENTS. 

No  Fish — Picton — The  Balaklava  Schooner — And  a  Voyage  to 
Louisburg 58 

CHAPTER  IY. 

The  Voyage  of  the  "Balaklava" — Something  of  a  Fog — A  Novel 
Sensation — Picton  bursts  out — "Nothing  to  do" — Breakfast 
under  Way — A  Phantom  Boat — Mackerel — Gone,  Hook  and 
Line — The  Colonists — Sectionalism  and  Prejudices — Cod-fishing 
and  an  Unexpected  Banquet — Past  the  old  French  Town — A 
Pretty  Respectable  Breeze — We  get  past  the  Rocks — Louis- 
burg 77 

CHAPTER   V. 

Louisburgh — The  Great  French  Fortress — Incidents  of  the  Old 
French  War — Relics  of  the  Siege — Description  of  the  Town — 
The  two  Expeditions — A  Yankee  ruse  de  guerre — The  Rev. 
Samuel  Moody's  Grace — Wolfe's  Landing — The  Fisherman's 
Hutch — The  Lost  Coaster — The  Fisheries — Picton  tries  his  hand 
at  a  Fish-pugh 102 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  most  acceptable  Invitation — An  Evening  in  the  Hutch — Old 
Songs — Picton  in  High  Feather — Wolfe  and  Montcalm — Reminis 
cences  of  the  Siege — Anecdotes  of  Wolfe — A  Touch  of  Rhetoric 
and  its  Consequences 121 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  other  side  of  the  Harbor — A  Foraging  Party — Disappointment 
— Twilight  at  Louisburgh — Long  Days  and  Early  Mornings — A 
Visit  and  View  of  an  Interior — A  Shark  Story — Picton  inquires 
about  a  Measure — Hospitality  and  the  Two  Brave  Boys — Pro 
posals  for  a  Trip  Overland  to  Sydney 135 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  Blue-Nosed  Pair  of  the  most  Cerulean  Hue — Prospects  of  a  Hard 
Bargain — Case  of  Necessity — Romantic  Lake  with  an  Unromantic 
Name — The  Discussion  concerning  Oatmeal — Danger  of  the 
Gasterophili — McGibbet  makes  a  Proposition — Farewell  to  the 
"Balaklava" — A  Midnight  Journey — Sydney — Boat  Excursion 
to  the  Micmacs — Picton  takes  off  his  Mackintosh 164 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Micmac  Camp — Indian  Church-warden  and  Broker — Interior 
of  a  Wigwam — A  Madonna — A  Digression — Malcolm  Discharged 
—An  Indian  Bargain — The  Inn  Parlor,  and  a  Comfortable 
Night's  Rest ." 176 

CHAPTER  X. 

Over  the  Bay — A  Gigantic  Dumb  Waiter — Erebus — Reflections — 
White  and  Black  Squares  of  the  Chess-Board — Leave-taking — 
An  Interruption — The  Aibstract  Preencipels  of  Feenance . .  186 

CHAPTER    XL 

The  Bras  d'Or  Road — Farewell  to  Picton — Home,  Sweet  Home — 
The  Rob  Roys  of  Cape  Breton — Note  and  Query — Chapel  Island 
— St.  Peter's — Enterprise — The  Strait  of  Canseau — West  River — 
The  Last  Out-post  of  the  Scottish  Chiefs 196 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Ride  from  West  River — A  Fellow  Passenger — Parallels  of  His 
tory — One  Hundred  Romances — Baron  de  Castine — His  Character 
— Made  Chief  of  the  Abenaquis — Duke  of  York's  Charter- 
Encroachments  of  the  Puritans — Church's  Indian  Wars— False 

Reports — Reflections 212 

1* 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Truro — On  the  Road  to  Halifax — Drive  to  the  Left — A  Member  01 
the  Foreign  Legion — Irish  Wit  at  Government  Expense — The 
first  Battle  of  the  Legion — Ten  Pounds  Reward — Sir  John  Gas- 
pard's  Revenge — The  Shubenacadie  Lakes — Dartmouth  Ferry, 
and  the  Hotel  Waverley 224 

CHAPTER  XIY. 

Halifax  again — Hotel  Waverley — "  Gone  the  Old  Familiar  Faces  " — 
The  Story  of  Marie  de  la  Tour ,  237 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Bedford  Basin — iTegend  of  the  two  French  Admirals — An  Invita 
tion  to  the  Queen— Visit  to  the  Prince's  Lodge— A  Touch  of  Old 
England — The  Ruins 251 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

The  Last  Night— Farewell,  Hotel  Waverley— Friends  Old  and  New— 
What  followed  the  Marriage  of  La  Tour  le  Borgne — Invasion 
of  Col.  Church 258 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  few  more  Threads  of  History — Acadia  again  lost — The  Oath  of 
Allegiance — Settlement  of  Halifax— The  .brave  Three  Hundred — 
Massacre  at  Norridgewoack — Le  Pere  Ralle 269 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

On  the  road  to  Windsor — The  great  Nova  Scotia  Railway — A  Fellow 
Passenger — Cape  Sable  Shipwrecks — Seals — Ponies — Windsor— 
Sam  Slick— A  lively  Example 279 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Windsor-upon-Avon — Ride  to  the  Gasperau — The  Basin  of  Minas— 


CONTENTS.  XI 

Blomidon— This  is  the  Acadian  Land — Basil,  the  Blacksmith — A 
Yankee  Settlement — Useless  Keflections 293 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Valley  of  Acadia — A  Morning  Ride  to  the  Dykes — An  unex 
pected  Wild-duck  Chase — High  Tides — The  Gasperau — Sunset — 
The  Lamp  of  History — Conclusion 302 

APPENDIX...  317 


A  0  A  D  I  A . 


CHAPTEK   I. 

Vagtfe  Rumors  of  Nova  Scotia — A  Fortnight  upon  Salt  Water — 
Interesting  Sketch  of  the  Atlantic — Halifax ! — Determine  to  stay 
in  the  Province — Province  Building  and  Pictures— Coast  Scenery 
-Liberty  in  Language,  and  Aspirations  of  the  People — Evange- 
line  and  Relics  of  Acadia— Market-Place — The  Encampment  at 
Point  Pleasant— Kissing  Bridge— The  "  Himalaya  "—A  Sabbath 
in  a  Garrison  Town — Grand  Celebration  of  the  Peace,  and  Natal 
t)ay  of  Halifax — And  a  Hint  of  a  Visit  to  Chezzetcook. 

IT  is  pleasant  to  visit  Nova  Scotia  in  the  month 
of  June.  Pack  up  your  flannels  and  your  fishing 
tackle,  leave  behind  you  your  prejudices  and  your 
summer  clothing,  take  your  trout-pole  in  one  hand 
and  a  copy  of  Haliburton  in  the  other,  and  step  on 
board  a  Cunarder  at  Boston.  In  thirty-six  hours 
you  are  in  the  loyal  little  province,  and  above  you 
floats  the  red  flag  and  the  cross  of  St.  George.  My 
word  for  it,  you  will  not  regret  the  trip. 

18 


14.  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

• 

That  the  idea  of  visiting  Nova  Scotia  ever  struck 
any  living  person  as  something  peculiarly  pleasant 
and  cheerful,  is  not  within  the  bounds  of  proba 
bility.  Yery  rude  people  are  wont  to  speak  of 
Halifax  in  connection  with  the  name  of  a  place 
never  alluded  to  in  polite  society — except  by 
clergymen.  As  for  the  rest  of  the  Province, 
there  are  certain  vague  rumors  of  extensive  and 
constant  fogs,  but  nothing  more.  The  land  is  a 
sort  of  terra  incognita.  Many  take  it  to  be  a  part 
of  Canada,  and  others  firmly  believe  it  is  some 
where  in  Newfoundland. 

In  justice  to  Nova  Scotia,  it  is  proper  to  state 
that  the  Province  is  a  province  by  itself ;  that  it 
hath  its  own  governor  and  parliament,  and  its  own 
proper  and  copper  currency.  How  I  chanced  to  go 
there  was  altogether  a  matter  of  destiny.  It  was  a 
severe  illness — a  gastric  disorder  of  the  most  obsti 
nate  kind,  that  cast  me  upon  its  balmy  shores.  One 
day,  after  a  protracted  relapse,  as  I  was  creep 
ing  feebly  along  Broadway,  sunning  myself,  like  a 
March  fly  on  a  window-pane,  whom  should  I  meet 
but  St.  Leger,  my  friend.  "  You  look  pale,"  said 
St.  Leger.  To  which  I  replied  by  giving  him  a 
full,  complete,  and  accurate  history  of  my  ailments, 
after  the  manner  of  valetudinarians.  "  Why  do  you 
not  try  change  of  air  ?"  he  asked  ;  and  then  briskly 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  15 

added,  "  You  could  spare  a  couple  of  weeks  or  so, 
could  you  not,  to  go  to  the  Springs  2"  "  I  could," 
said  I,  feebly.  "Then,"  said  St.  Leger,  "take  the 
two  weeks'  time,  but  do  not  go  to  the  Springs. 
Spend  your  fortnight  on  the  salt  water — get  out  of 
eight  of  land — that  is  the  thing  for  you."  And  so, 
shaking  my  hand  warmly,  St.  Leger  passed  on,  and 
left  me  to  my  reflections. 

A  fortnight  upon  salt  water  ?  Whither  ?  Cape 
Cod  at  once  loomed  up,  Nantucket,  and  Martha's 
Vineyard.  "  And  why  not  the  Bermudas  ?"  said  a 
voice  within  me ;  "  the  enchanted  Islands  of  Pros- 
pero,  and  Ariel,  and  Miranda ;  of  Shakspeare,  and 
Raleigh,  and  Irving  ?"  And  echo  answered :  ""Why 
not?" 

It  is  but  a  day-and-a-half 's  sail  to  Halifax  ; 
thence,  by  a  steamer,  to  those  neighboring  isles ; 
for  the  Curlew  and  the  Merlin,  British  mail-boats, 
leave  Halifax  fortnightly  for  the  Bermudas.  A 
thousand  miles  of  life-invigorating  atmosphere — a 
week  upon  salt  water,  and  you  are  amid  the  mag 
nificent  scenery  of  the  Tempest !  And  how  often 
had  the  vague  desire  impressed  me — how  often, 
indeed,  had  I  visited,  in  imagination,  those  beauti 
ful  scenes,  those  islands  which  have  made  Shaks 
peare  our  near  kinsman ;  which  are  part  and  parcel 
of  the  romantic  history  of  Sir  Walter  Kaleigli ! 


16  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

For,  even  if  he  do  describe  them,  in  his  strong  old 
Saxon,  as  "  the  Bermudas,  a  hellish  sea  for  Thun 
der,  and  Lightning,  and  Storms,"  yet  there  is  a 
charm  even  in  this  description,  for  doubtless  these 
very  words  gave  a  title  to  the  great  drama  of  "Wil 
liam  of  Stratford,  and  suggested  the  idea  of 

"  The  still-vexed  Bermoothes." 

Ah,  yes !  and  who  that  has  read  Irving' s  "  Three 
Kings  of  Bermuda "  has  not  felt  the  influence  of 
those  Islas  Encantadas — those  islands  of  palms 
and  coral,  of  orange  groves  and  ambergris!  "A 
fortnight  ?"  said  I,  quoting  St.  Leger ;  "  I  will  take 
a  month  for  it."  And  so,  in  less  than  a  week  from 
the  date  of  his  little  prescription,  I  was  bidding 
farewell  to -some  dear  friends,  from  the  deck  of  the 
"  Canada,"  at  East  Boston  wharf,  as  Captain  Lang, 
on  the  top  of  our  wheel-house,  shouted  out,  in  a 
very  briny  voice :  "Let  go  the  starboard  bow  chain 
— go  slow !" 

It  would  be  presumptuous  in  me  to  speak  of  the 
Atlantic,  from  the  limited  acquaintance  I  had  with 
it.  The  note-book  of  an  invalid  for  two  days  at  sea, 
with  a  heavy  ground  swell,  and  the  wind  in  the 
most  favorable  quarter,  can  scarcely  be  attractive. 
As  the  breeze  freshened,  and  the  tars  of  old  Eng 
land  ran  aloft,  to  strip  from  the  black  sails  the 


WITH     THE    BLUE    NOSES.  17 

wrappers  of  white  canvas  that  had  hid  them  when 
in  port;  and  as  these  leathern,  bat-like  pinions 
spread  out  on  each  side  of  the  funnel,  there  was  a 
moment's  glimpse  of  the  picturesque ;  but  it  was  a 
glimpse  only,  and  no  more.  One  does  not  enjoy 
the  rise  and  dip  of  the  bow  of  a  steamer,  at  first, 
however  graceful  it  may  be  in  the  abstract.  To  be 
sure,  there  were  some  things  else  interesting.  For 
instance,  three  brides  aboard !  And  one  of  them 
lovely  enough  to  awaken  interest,  on  sea  or  land,  in 
any  body  but  a  Halifax  passenger.  I  hope  those 
fair  ladies  will  have  a  pleasant  tour,  one  and  all, 
and  that  the  view  they  take  of  the  great  world,  so 
early  in  life,  will  make  them  more  contented  with 
that  minor  world,  henceforth  to  be  within  the  limits 
of  their  dominion.  Lullaby  to  the  young  wives ! 
there  will  be  rocking  enough  anon  ! 

But  we  coasted  along  pleasantly  enough  the 
next  day,  within  sight  of  the  bold  headlands  of 
Maine  ;  the  sky  and  sea  clear  of  vapor,  except  the 
long  reek  from  the  steamer's  pipe.  And  then  came 
nightfall  and  the  northern  stars ;  and,  later  at  night, 
a  new  luminary  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon — Sam- 
bro'  light ;  and  then  a  sudden  quenching  of  stars, 
and  horizon,  lighthouse,  ropes,  spars,  and  smoke 
stack ;  the  sounds  of  hoarse  voices  of  command  in 
the  obscurity ;  a  trampling  Df  men ;  and  then  down 


18  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

went  the  anchor  in  the  ooze,  and  the  Canada  was 
fog-bound  in  the  old  harbor  of  Chebucto  for  the 
night,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  city. 

But  with  the  early  dawn,  we  awoke  to  hear  the 
welcome  sounds  of  the  engines  in  motion,  and  when 
we  reached  the  deck,  the  mist  was  drifted  with 
sunlight,  and  rose  and  fell  in  luminous  billows  on 
water  and  shore,  and  then  lifted,  lingered,  and 
vanished ! 

"And  this  is  Halifax?"  said  I,  as  that  quaint, 
mouldy  old  town  poked  its  wooden  gables  through 
the  fog  of  the  second  morning.  "  This  is  Halifax  ? 
This  the  capital  of  Nova  Scotia?  This  the  city 
that  harbored  those  loyal  heroes  of  the  Revolution, 
who  gallantly  and  gayly  fought,  and  bled,  and  ran 
for  their  king  ?  Ah !  you  brave  old  Tories,  you 
staunch  upholders  of  the  crown ;  cavaliers  without 
ringlets  or  feathers,  russet  boots  or  steeple-crown 
hats,  it  seems  as  if  you  were  still  hovering  over  this 
venerable  tabernacle  of  seven  hundred  gables,  and 
wreathing  each  particular  ridge-pole,  pigeon-hole, 
and  shingle  with  a  halo  of  fog. 

The  plank  was  laid,  and  the  passengers  left  the 
steamer.  There  were  a  few  vehicles  on  the  wharf 
for  the  accommodation  of  strangers  ;  square,  black, 
funereal-like,  wheeled  sarcophagi,  eminently  sug 
gestive  of  burials  and  crape.  Of  course  I  did  not 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  19 

ride  in  one,  on  account  of  unpleasant  associations ; 
but,  placing  my  trunk  in  charge  of  a  cart-boy  with 
a  long-tailed  dray,  and  a  diminutive  pony,  I  walked 
through  the  silent  streets  towards  "The  Waverley." 

It  was  an  inspiriting  morning,  that  which  I  met 
upon  the  well-docked  shores  of  Halifax,  and  al 
though  the  side-walks  of  the  city  were  neither 
bricked  nor  paved  with  flags,  and  the  middle  street 
was  in  its  original  and  aboriginal  clay,  yet  there  was 
novelty  in  making  its  acquaintance.  Everybody 
was  asleep  in  that  early  fog  ;  and  when  everybody 
woke  up,  it  was  done,  so  quietly  that  the  change 
was  scarcely  apparent. 

But  the  "  Merlin,"  British  mailer,  is  to  sail  at 
noon  for  the  Shakspeare  Island,  and  breakfast  must 
be  discussed,  and  then  once  more  I  am  with  you, 
my  anti-bilious  ocean.  It  chanced,  however,  I 
heard  at  breakfast,  that  the  "  Curlew,"  the  mate  of 
the  "  Merlin,"  had  been  lost  a  short  time  before  at 
sea,  and  as  there  was  but  one,  and  not  two  steamers 
on  the  route,  so  that  I  would  be  detained  longer 
with  Prospero  and  Miranda  than  might  be  comfort 
able  in  the  approaching  hot  weather,  it  came  to 
pass  that  I  had  reluctantly  to  forego  the  projected 
voyage,  and  anchor  my  trunk  of  tropical  clothing 
in  room  Number  Twenty,  Hotel  Waverley.  It  was 
a  great  disappointment,  to  be  sure,  after  such  bril- 


20  ACADIA,      OR    A    MONTH 

liant  anticipations — but  what  is  life  without  philo 
sophy  ?  When  we  cannot  get  what  we  wish,  let  us 
take  what  we  may.  Let  the  "  Merlin "  sail !  T 
will  visit,  instead  of  those  Islas  Encantadas,  "The 
Acadian  land  on  the  shore  of  the  Basin  of  Minas." 
Let  the  "  Merlin  "  sail !  I  will  see  the  ruined  walls 
of  Louisburgh,  and  the  harbors  that  once  sheltered 
the  Venetian  sailor,  Cabot.  "  Let  her  sail !"  said  I, 
and  when  the  morn  passed  I  saw  her  slender  thread 
of  smoke  far  off  on  the  glassy  ocean,  without  a  sigh 
of  regret,  and  resolutely  turned  my  face  from  the 
promised  palms  to  welcome  the  sturdy  pines  of  the 
province. 

The  city  hill  of  Halifax  rises  proudly  from  its 
wharves  and  shipping  in  a  multitude  of  mouse- 
colored  wooden  houses,  until  it  is  crowned  by  the 
citadel.  As  it  is  a  garrison  town,  as  well  as  a  naval 
station,  you  meet  in  the  streets  red-coats  and  blue 
jackets  without  number ;  yonder,  with  a  brilliant 
staff,  rides  the  Governor,  Sir  John  Gaspard  le  Mar- 
chant,  and  here,  in  a  carriage,  is  Admiral  Fan- 
shawe,  C.B.,  of  the  "  Boscawen  "  Flag-ship.  Every 
thing  is  suggestive  of  impending  hostilities ;  war,  in 
burnished  trappings,  encounters  you  at  the  street 
corners,  and  the  air  vibrates  from  time  to  time  with 
bugles,  fifes,  and  drums.  But  oh !  what  a  slow 
place  it  is!  Even  two  Crimean  regiments  with 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  21 

medals  and  decorations  could  not  wake  it  up.  The 
little  old  houses  seem  to  look  with  wondrous  apathy 
as  these  pass  by,  as  though  they  had  given  each 
other  a  quiet  nudge  with  their  quaint  old  gables,  and 
whispered  :  "  Keep  still !" 

I  wandered  up  and  down  those  old  streets  in 
search  of  something  picturesque,  but  in  vain ;  there 
was  scarcely  any  thing  remarkable  to  arrest  or  inter 
est  a  stranger.  Such,  too,  might  have  been  the 
appearance  of  other  places  I  wot  of,  if  those  staunch 
old  loyalists  had  had  their  way  in  the  days  gone  by ! 

But  the  Province  House,  which  is  built  of  a  sort 
of  yellow  sand-stone,  with  pillars  in  front,  and  trees 
around  it,  is  a  well-proportioned  building,  with  an 
air  of  great  solidity  and  respectability.  There  are 
in  it  very  fine  full-lengths  of  King  George  II.  and 
Queen  Caroline,  and  two  full-lengths  of  King- 
George  III.  and  Queen  Charlotte ;  a  full-length  of 
Chief-Justice  Haliburton,  and  another  full-length, 
by  Benjamin  "West,  of  another  chief-justice,  in  a 
red  robe  and  a  formidable  wig.  Of  these  portraits, 
the  two  first-named  are  the  most  attractive ;  there  is 
something  so  gay  and  festive  in  the  appearance  of 
King  George  II.  and  Queen  Caroline,  so  courtly 
and  sprightly,  so  graceful  and  amiable,  that  one  is 
tempted  to  exclaim:  "Bless  the  painter!  what  a 
genius  he  had !" 


22  ACADIA,     Oil    A     MONTH 

And  now,  after  taking  a  look  at  Dalhousie  Col 
lege  with  the  parade  in  front,  and  the  square  town- 
clock,  built  by  his  graceless  Highness  the  Duke  of 
Kent,  let  us  climb  Citadel  Hill,  and  see  the  formid 
able  protector  of  town  and  harbor.  Lively  enough 
it  is,  this  great  stone  fortress,  with  its  soldiers, 
swarming  in  and  out  like  bees,  and  the  glimpses  of 
country  and  harbor  are  surpassingly  beautiful ;  but 
just  at  the  margin  of  this  slope  below  us,  is  the 
street,  and  that  dark  fringe  of  tenements  skirting 
the  edge  of  this  green  glacis  is,  I  fear  me,  filled 
with  vicious  inmates.  Yonder,  where  the  blackened 
ruins  of  three  houses  are  viable,  a  sailor  was  killed 
and  thrown  out  of  a  window  not  long  since,  and  his 
shipmates  burned  the  houses  down  in  consequence ; 
there  is  something  strikingly  suggestive  in  looking 
upon  this  picture  and  on  that. 

But  if  you  cast  your  eyes  over  yonder  mag 
nificent  bay,  where  vessels  bearing  flags  of  all 
nations  are  at  anchor,  and  then  let  your  vision 
sweep  past  and  over  the  islands  to  the  outlets 
beyond,  where  the  quiet  ocean  lies,  bordered  with 
fog-banks  that  loom  ominously  at  the  boundary-line 
of  the  horizon,  you  will  see  a  picture  of  marvellous 
beauty ;  for  the  coast  scenery  here  transcends  our 
own  sea-shores,  both  in  color  and  outline.  And 
behind  us  again  stretch  large  green  plains,  dotted 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  23 

with  cottages,  and  bounded  with  undulating-  hills, 
with  now  and  then  glimpses  of  blue  water ;  and  as 
we  walk  down  Citadel  Hill,  we  feel  half-reconciled 
to  Halifax,  its  queer  little  streets,  its  quaint,  mouldy 
old  gables,  its  soldiers  and  sailors,  its  fogs,  cabs, 
penny  and  half-penny  tokens,  and  all  its  little,  odd, 
outlandish  peculiarities.  Peace  be  with  it !  after 
all,  it  has  a  quiet  charm  for  an  invalid ! 

The  inhabitants  of  Halifax  exhibit  no  trifling 
degree  of  freedom  in  language  for  a  loyal  people  ; 
they  call  themselves  "  Halligonians."  This  title, 
however,  is  sometimes  pronounced  "  'Alligonians," 
by  the  more  rigid,  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the 
old  country.  But  innovation  has  been  at  work 
even  here,  for  the  majority  of  Her  Majesty's  sub 
jects  aspirate  the  letter  H.  Alas  for  innovation  ! 
who  knows  to  what  results  this  trifling  error  may 
lead  ?  When  Mirabeau  went  to  the  French  court 
without  buckles  in  his  shoes,  the  barriers  of  etiquette 
were  broken  down,  and  the  Swiss  Guards  fought  in 
vain. 

There  is  one  virtue  in  humanity  peculiarly  grate 
ful  to  an  invalid ;  to.  him  most  valuable,  by  him 
most  appreciated,  namely,  hospitality.  And  that 
the  'Alligonians  are  a  kind  and  good  people,  abun 
dant  in  hospitality,  let  me  attest.  One  can  scarcely 
visit  a  city  occupied  by  those  whose  grandsires 


24:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

would  have  hung  your  rebel  grandfathers  (if  they 
had  caught  them),  without  some  misgivings.  But  I 
found  the  old  Tory  blood  of  three  Halifax  genera 
tions,  yet  warm  and  vital,  happy  to  accept  again  a 
rebellious  kinsman,  a  real  live  Yankee,  in  spite  of 
Sam  Slick  and  the  Revolution. 

Let  us  take  a  stroll  through  these  quiet  streets. 
This  is  the  Province  House  with  its  Ionic  porch, 
and  within  it  are  the  halls  of  Parliament,  and  offices 
of  government.  You  see  there  is  a  red-coat  with 
his  sentry-box  at  either  corner.  Behind  the  house 
again  are  two  other  sentries  on  duty,  all  glittering 
with  polished  brass,  and  belted,  gloved,  and  bayo 
neted,  in  splendid  style.  Of  what  use  are  these 
satellites,  except  to  watch  the  building  and  keep  it 
from  running  away  ?  On  the  street  behind  the 
Province  House  is  Fuller's  American  Book-store, 
which  we  will  step  into,  and  now  among  these 
books,  fresh  from  the  teeming  presses  of  the  States, 
we  feel  once  more  at  home.  Fuller  preserves  his 
equanimity  in  spite  of  the  blandishments  of  royalty, 
and  once  a  year,  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  hoists  the 
"  stars  and  stripes,"  and  bravely  takes  dinner  with  the 
United  States  Consul,  in  the  midst  of  lions  and  uni 
corns.  Many  pleasant  hours  I  passed  with  Fuller, 
both  in  town  and  country.  Near  by,  on  the  next 
corner,  is  the  print-store  of  our  old  friends  the  Wet- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  25 

mores,  and  here  one  can  see  costly  engravings  of 
Landseer's  fine  pictures,  and  indeed  whole  port 
folios  of  English  art.  But  of  all  the  pictures  there 
was  one,  the  most  touching,  the  most  suggestive ! 
The  presiding  genius  of  the  place,  the  unsceptred 
Queen  of  this  little  realm  was  before  me — Faed's 
Evangeline !  And  this  reminded  me  that  I  was  in 
the  Acadian  land !  This~  reminded  me  of  Long 
fellow's  beautiful  pastoral,  a  poem  that  has  spread 
i  glory  over  Nova  Scotia,  a  romantic  interest, 
vvhich  our  own  land  has  not  yet  inspired  !  I 
knew  that  I  was  in  Acadia ;  the  historic  scroll 
unrolled  and  stretched  its  long  perspective  to  earlier 
lays ;  it  recalled  De  Monts,  and  the  la  Tours ;  Yice 
Admiral  Destournelle,  who  ran  upon  his  own  sword, 
hard  by,  at  Bedford  Basin ;  and  the  brave  Baron 
Castine. 

The  largest  settlement  of  the  Acadians  is  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Halifax.  In  the  early  mornings, 
you  sometimes  see  a  few  of  these  people  in  the 
streets,  or  at  the  market,  selling  a  dozen  or  so  of 
fresh  eggs,  or  a  pair  or  two  of  woollen  socks,  almost 
the  only  articles  of  their  simple  commerce.  But 
you  must  needs  be  early  to  see  them ;  after  eight 
o'clock,  they  will  have  all  vanished.  Chezzetcook, 
or,  as  it  is  pronounced  by  the  'Alligonians,  "  Chiz- 
zencook,"  is  twenty-two  miles  from.  Halifax,  and  as 


26  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  Acadian  peasant  lias  neither  horse  nor  mule,  he 
or  she  must  be  off'  betimes  to  reach  home  before 
mid-day  nuncheon.  A  score  of  miles  on  foot  is  no 
trifle,  in  all  weathers,  but  Gabriel  and  Evangeline 
perform  it  cheerfully ;  and  when  the  knitting-nee 
dle  and  the  poultry  shall  have  replenished  their 
slender  stock,  off  again  they  will  start  on  their  mid 
night  pilgrimage,  that  they  may  reach  the  great 
city  of  Halifax  before  day-break. 

We  must  see  Chezzetcook  anon,  gentle  reader. 

Let  us  visit  the  market-place.  Here  is  Masa- 
niello,  with  his  fish  in  great  profusion.  Codfish, 
three-pence  or  four-pence  each  ;  lobsters,  a  penny ; 
and  salmon  of  immense  size  at  six-pence  a  pound 
(currency),  equal  to  a  dime  of  our  money.  If  you 
prefer  trout,  you  must  buy  them  of  these  Micmac 
squaws  in  traditional  blankets,  a  shilling  a  bunch  ; 
and  you  may  also  buy  baskets  of  rainbow  tints 
from  these  copper  ladies  for  a  mere  trifle  ;  and  as 
every  race  has  a  separate  vocation  here,  only  of  the 
negroes  can  you  purchase  berries.  "This  is  a  busy 
town,"  one  would  say,  drawing  his  conclusion  from 
the  market-place ;  for  the  shifting  crowd,  in  all  cos 
tumes  and  in  all  colors,  Indians,  negroes,  soldiers, 
sailors,  civilians,  and  Chizzincookers,  make  up  a 
pageant  of  no  little  theatrical  effect  and  bustle. 
Again :  if  you  are  still  strong  in  limb,  and  ready 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  27 

for  a  longer  walk,  which  I,  leaning  upon  my  staff, 
am  not,  we  will  visit  the  encampment  at  Point 
Pleasant.  The  Seventy-sixth  Regiment  has  pitched 
its  tents  here  among  the  evergreens.  Yonder  you 
see  the  soldiers,  looking  like  masses  of  red  fruit 
amidst  the  spicy  verdure  of  the  spruces.  Row  upon 
row  of  tents,  and  file  upon  file  of  men  standing  at 
ease,  each  one  before  his  knapsack,  his  little  leather 
household,  with  its  shoes,  socks,  shirts,  brushes, 
razors,  and  other  furniture  open  for  inspection. 
And  there  is  Sir  John  Gaspard  le  Marchant,  with  a 
brilliant  staff,  engaged  in  the  pleasant  duty  of  pick 
ing  a  personal  quarrel  with  each  medal-decorated 
hero,  and  marking  down  every  hole  in  his  socks, 
and  every  gap  in  his  comb,  for  the  honor  of  the 
service.  And  this  Point  Pleasant  is  a  lovely  place, 
too,  with  a  broad  look-out  in  front,  for  yonder  lies 
the  blue  harbor  and  the  ocean  deeps.  Just  back  of 
the  tents  is  the  cookery  of  the  camp,  huge  mounds 
of  loose  stones,  with  grooves  at  the  top,  very  like 
the  architecture  of  a  cranberry-pie ;  and  if  the  simile 
be  an  homely  one,  it  is  the  best  that  comes  to  mind 
to  convey  an  idea  of  those  regimental  stoves,  with 
their  seams  and  channels  of  fire,  over  which  pota 
toes  bubble,  and  roast  and  boiled  send  forth  a 
savory  odor.  And  here  and  there,  wistfully  regard 
ing  this  active  scene,  amid  the  green  shrubbery, 


28  A  C  A  D  I  A ,     OR    A    MONTH 

stands  a  sentinel „ before  his  sentry-box,  built  of 
spruce  boughs,  wrought  into  a  mimic  military  tem 
ple,  and  fanciful  enough,  too,  for  a  garden  of  roses. 
And  look  you  now !  If  here  be  not  Die  Yernon, 
with  "habit,  hat,  and  feather,"  cantering  gayly 
down  the  road  between  the  tents,  and  behind  her  a 
stately  groom  in  gold-lace  band,  top-boots,  and 
buck-skins.  A  word  in  your  ear — that  pleasant 
half-English  face  is  the  face  of  the  Governor's 
daughter. 

The  road  to  Point  Pleasant  is  a  favorite  prome 
nade  in  the  long  Acadian  twilights.  Mid-way  be 
tween  the  city  and  the  Point  lies  "  Kissing  Bridge," 
which  the  Halifax  maidens  sometimes  pass  over. 
Who  gathers  toll  nobody  knows,  but  I  thought 
there  was  a  mischievous  glance  in  the  blue  eyes  of 
those  passing  damsels  that  said  plainly  they  could 
tell,  "  an'  they  would."  I  love  to  look  upon  those 
happy,  healthy  English  faces  ;  those  ruddy  cheeks, 
flushed  with  exercise,  and  those  well-developed 
forms,  not  less  attractive  because  of  the  sober- 
colored  dresses  and  brown  flat  hats,  in  which,  o' 
summer  evenings,  they  glide  towards  the  myste 
rious  precincts  of  "The  Bridge."  What  a  tale 
those  old  arches  could  tell  ?  $  Quien  sale  f  Who 
knows  ? 

But  next  to  "  Kissing  Bridge,"  the  prominent  ob- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  29 

ject  of  interest,  now,  to  Halifax  ladies,  is  the  great 
steamer  that  lies  at  the  Admiralty,  the  Oriental 
screw-steamer  Himalaya — the  transport  ship  of  two 
regiments  of  the  heroes  of  Balaklava,  and  Alma, 
and  Inkerman,  and  Sebastopol.  A  vast  specimen 
of  naval  architecture ;  an  unusual  sight  in  these 
waters  ;  a  marine  vehicle  to  carry  twenty-five  hun 
dred  men  !  Think  of  this  moving  town  ;  this  port 
able  village  of  royal  belligerents  covered  with 
glory  and  medals,  breasting  the  billows  !  Is  there 
not  something  glorious  in  such  a  spectacle  ?  And 
yet  I  was  told  by  a  brave  officer,  who  wore  the 
decorations  of  the  four  great  battles  on  his  breast, 
that  of  his  regiment,  the  Sixty-third,  but  thirty  men 
were  now  living,  and  of  the  thirty,  seventeen  only 
were  able  to  attend  drill.  That  regiment  numbered 
a  thousand  at  Alma ! 

No  gun  broke  the  silence  of  the  Sabbath  morn 
ing,  as  the  giant  ship  moved  from  the  Admiralty, 
on  the  day  following  our  visit  to  Point  Pleasant, 
and  silently  furrowed  her  path  oceanward  on  her 
return  to  Gibraltar.  A  long  line  of  thick  bitumi 
nous  smoke,  above  the  low  house-tops,  was  the  only 
hint  of  her  departure,  to  the  citizens.  It  was  a 
grand  sight  to  see  her  vast  bulk  moving  among  the 
islands  in  the  harbor,  almost  as  large  as  they. 

And  now,  being  Sunday,  after  looking  in  at  the 


30  AC AD I A,     OR    A    MONTH 

Cathedral,  which  does  not  represent  the  usual  pomp 
of  the  Romish  Church,  we  will  visit  the  Garrison 
Chapel.  A  bugle-call  from  barracks,  or  Citadel 
Hill,  salutes  us  as  we  stroll  towards  the  chapel; 
otherwise,  Halifax  is  quiet,  as  becomes  the  day. 
Presently  we  see  the  long  scarlet  lines  approaching, 
and  presently  the  men,  with  orderly  step,  file  from 
the  street  through  the  porch  into  the  gallery  and 
pews.  Then  the  officers  of  field  and  line,  of  ord 
nance  and  commissary  departments,  take  their 
allotted  seats  below.  Then  the  chimes  cease,  and 
the  service  begins.  Most  devoutly  we  prayed  for 
the  Queen,  and  omitted  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

As  the  Crimeans  ebbed  from  the  church,  and, 
floating  off  in  the  distance,  wound  slowly  up  Citadel 
Hill  against  the  quiet  clear  summer  sky,  I  could 
not  but  think  of  these  lines  from  Thomas  Miller's 
"  Summer  Morning :" 

"A  troop  of  soldiers  pass  with  stately  pace, 

Their  early  music  wakes  the  village  street : 
Through  yon  turned  blinds  peeps  many  a  lovely  face, 

Smiling  perchance  unconsciously  how  sweet ! 
One  does  the  carpet  press  with  blue-veined  feet, 

Not  thinking  how  her  fair  neck  she  exposes, 
But  with  white  foot  timing  the  drum's  deep  beat ; 

And  when  again  she  on  her  pillow  dozes, 
Dreams  how  she'll  dance  that  tune  'mong  summer's  sweetest  rosea 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  31 

"  So  let  her  dream,  even  as  beauty  should ! 

Let  the  white  plumes  athwart  her  slumbers  sway  ! 
Why  should  I  steep  their  swaling  snows  in  blood, 

Or  bid  her  think  of  battle's  grim  array  ? 
Truth  will  too  soon  her  blinding  star  display, 

And  like  a  fearful  comet  meet  her  eyes. 
And  yet  how  peaceful  they  pass  on  their  way ! 

How  grand  the  sight  as  up  the  hill  they  rise ! 
/  will  not  think  of  cities  reddening  in  the  skies" 


It  was  my  fate  to  see  next  day  a  great  celebra 
tion.  It  was  the  celebration  of  peace  between 
England  and  Russia.  Peace  having  been  pro 
claimed,  all  Halifax  was  in  arms !  Loyalty  threw 
out  her  bunting  to  the  breeze,  and  fired  her  crack 
ers.  The  civic  authorities  presented  an  address  to 
the  royal  representative  of  Her  Majesty,  requesting 
His  Excellency  to  transmit  the  same  to  the  foot  of 
the  throne.  Militia-men  shot  off  municipal  cannon ; 
bells  echoed  from  the  belfries ;  the  shipping  flut 
tered  with  signals ;  and  Citadel  Hill  telegraph,  in 
a  multitude  of  flags,  announced  that  ships,  brigs, 
schooners,  and  steamers,  in  vast  quantities,  "  were 
below."  Nor  was  the  peace  alone  the  great  feature 
of  the  holiday.  The  eighth  of  June,  the  natal  day 
of  Halifax,  was  to  be  celebrated  also.  For  Halifax 
was  founded,  so  says  the  Chronicle,  on  the  eighth 
of  June,  1749,  by  the  Hon.  Edward  Cornwallis 


32  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

(not  our  Cornwallis),  and  the  'Alligonians  in  conse 
quence  made  a  specialty  of  that  fact  once  a  year. 
And  to  add  to  the  attraction,  the  Board  of  Works 
had  decided  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  a  Lunatic 
Asylum  in  the  afternoon ;  so  there  was  no  end  to 
the  festivities.  And,  to  crown  all,  an  immense  fog 
settled  upon  the  city. 

Leaning  upon  my  friend  Robert's  arm  and  my 
staff,  I  went  forth  to  see  the  grand  review.  When 
we  arrived  upon  the  ground,  in  the  rear  of  Citadel 
Hill,  we  saw  the  outline  of  something  glimmering 
through  the  fog,  which  Eobert  said  were  shrubs, 
and  which  I  said  were  soldiers.  A  few  minutes? 
walking  proved  my  position  to  be  correct;  we 
found  ourselves  in  the  centre  of  a  three-sided 
square  of  three  regiments,  within  which  the  civic 
authorities  were  loyally  boring  Sir  John  Gaspard  le 
Marchant  and  staff,  to  the  verge  of  insanity,  with 
tlue  Address  which  was  to  be  laid  at  the  foot  of  the 
throne.  Notwithstanding  the  despairing  air  with 
which  JEis  Excellency  essayed  to  reply  to  this  for 
midable  paper,  I  could  not  help  enjoying  the  scene  ; 
and  I  also  noted,  when  the  reply  was  over,  and 
the  few  ragamuffins  near  His  Excellency  cheered 
bravely,  and  the  band  struck  up  the  national  an 
them,  how  gravely  and  discreetly  the  rest  of  the 
'Alligonians,  in  the  circumambient  fog,  echoed  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  33 

sentiment  by  a  silence,  that,  under  other  circum 
stances,  would  have  been  disheartening.  "What  a 
quiet  people  it  is  !  As  I  said  before,  to  make  the 
festivities  complete,  in  the  afternoon  there  was 
a  procession  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  a  Lunatic 
Asylum.  But  oh!  how  the  jolly  old  rain  poured 
down  upon  the  luckless  pilgrimage!  There  were 
the  "  Yirgins  "  of  Masonic  Lodge  No.  — ,  the  Army 
Masons,  in  scarlet;  the  African  Masons,  in  ivory 
and  black ;  the  Scotch-piper  Mason,  with  his  legs 
in  enormous  plaid  trowsers,  defiant  of  Shakspeare's 
theory  about  the  sensitiveness  of  some  men,  when 
the  bag-pipe  sings  i'  the  nose ;  the  Clerical  Mason 
in  shovel  hat ;  the  municipal  artillery ;  the  Sons  of 
Temperance,  and  the  band.  Away  they  marched, 
with  drum  and  banner,  key  and  compasses,  BIBLE 
and  sword,  to  Dartmouth,  in  great  feather,  for  the 
eyes  of  Halifax  were  upon  them. 


34:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTEE  II. 

Fog  clears  Up — The  One  Idea  not  comprehended  by  the  American 
Mind — A  June  Morning  in  the  Province — The  Beginning  of  the 
Evangeliad— Intuitive  Perception  of  Genius — The  Forest  Prim 
eval—Acadian  Peasants— A  Negro  Settlement — Deer's  Castle — 
The  Road  to  Chezzetcook — Acadian  Scenery— A  Glance  at  the 
Early  History  of  Acadia — First  Encroachments  of  the  English — 
The  Harbor  and  Village  of  Chezzetcook — Etc.,  etc. 

THE  celebration  being  over,  the  fog  cleared  up. 
Loyalty  furled  her  flags ;  the  civic  authorities  were 
silent;  the  signal-telegraph  was  put  upon  short 
allowance.  But  the  'Alligonian  papers  next  day 
were  loaded  to  the  muzzle  with  typographical  mis 
siles.  From  them  we  learned  that  there  had  been 
a  great  amount  of  enthusiasm  displayed  at  the  cele 
bration,  and  "  everything  had  passed  off  happily  in 
spite  of  the  weather."  "  Old  Chebucto  "  was  right 
side  up,  and  then  she  quietly  sparkled  out  again. 

There  is  one  solitary  idea,  and  only  one,  not  com 
prehensible  by  the  American  mind/  I  say  it  feebly, 
but  I  say  it  fearlessly,  there  is  an  idea  which  does 
not  present  anything  to  the  American  mind  but  a 


WITH    THE    BLUE     NOSES.  35 

blank.  Every  metaphysical  dog  lias  worried  the 
life  out  of  every  abstraction  but  this.  I  strike  my 
stick  down,  cross  my  hands,  and  rest  my  chin  upon 
them,  in  support  of  my  position.  Let  anybody 
attempt  to  controvert  it !  "I  say,  that  in  the  Ame 
rican  mind,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  the  conception 
even,  of  an  idea  of  tranquillity !"  I  once  for  a  little 
repose,  went  to  a  "  quiet  New-England  village,"  as 
it  was  called,  and  the  first  thing  that  attracted  my 
attention  there  was  a  statement  in  the  village 
paper,  that  no  less  than  twenty  persons  in  that 
quiet  place  had  obtained  patent-rights  for  inven 
tions  and  improvements  during  the  past  year. 
They  had  been  at  everything,  from  an  apple-parer 
to  a  steam-engine.  In  the  next  column  was  an 
article  "  on  capital  punishment,"  and  the  leader 
was  thoroughly  fired  up  with  a  bran-new  project 
for  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific.  That  day  I  dined 
with  a  member  of  Congress,  a  peripatetic  lecturer, 
and  the  principal  citizens  of  the  township,  and  took 
the  return  cars  at  night  amid  the  glare  of  a  torch 
light  procession.  Repose,  forsooth?  Why  the 
great  busy  city  seemed  to  sing  lullaby,  after  the 
shock  of  that  quiet  New-England  village. 

But  in  this  quaint,  mouldy  old  town,  one  can  get 
an  idea  of  the  calm  and  the  tranquil — especially 
after  a  celebration.  It  has  been  said :  "  Halifax  is 


36  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  only  place  that  is  finished."  One  can  readily 
believe  it.  Its  population  has  been  twenty-five 
thousand  for  the  last  twenty-five  years,  and  a  new 
house  is  beyond  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inha 
bitant. 

The  fog  cleared  up.  And  one  of  those  inexpres 
sibly  balmy  days  followed.  June  in  Halifax  repre 
sents  our  early  May.  The  trees  are  all  in  bud ;  the 
peas  in  the  garden-beds  are  just  marking  the  lines 
of  drills  with  faint  stripes  of  green.  Here  and  there 
a  solitary  bird  whets  his  bill  on  the  bare  bark  of  a 
forked  -bough.  The  chilly  air  has  departed,  and  in 
its  place  is  a  sense  of  freshness,  of  dewiness,  of  fra 
grance  and  delight.  A  sense  of  these  only,  an 
instinctive  feeling,  that  anticipates  the  odor  of  the 
rose  before  the  rose  is  blown.  On  such  a  morning 
we  went  forth  to  visit  Chezzetcook,  and  here,  gentle 
reader,  beginneth  the  Evangeliad. 

The  intuitive  perception  of  genius  is  its  most  strik 
ing  element.  I  was  told  by  a  traveller  and  an  ar 
tist,  who  had  been  for  nearly  twenty  years  on  the 
northwest  coast,  that  he  had  read  Irving's  "  Asto 
ria"  as  a  mere  romance,  in  early  life,  but  when  he 
visited  the  place  itself,  he  found  that  he  was  reading 
the  T)ook  over  again'  that  Irving's  descriptions  were 
so  minute  and  perfect,  that  he  was  at  home  in  Asto 
ria,  and  familiar,  not  only  with  the  country,  but 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  37 

with  individuals  residing  there ;  "  for,"  said  he, 
"  although  many  of  the  old  explorers,  trappers,  and 
adventurers  described  in  the  book  were  dead  and 
gone,  yet  I  found  the  descendants  of  those  pioneers 
had  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  their  fathers ;  and 
the  daughter  of  Concomly,  whom  I  met,  was  as  in 
teresting  a  historical  personage  at  home  as  Queen 
Elizabeth  would  have  been  in  Westminster  Abbey. 
At  Vancouver's  Island,"  said  the  traveller,  "  I  found 
an  old  dingy  copy  of  the  book  itself,  embroidered 
and  seamed  with  interlineations  and  marginal  notes 
of  hundreds  of  pens,  in  every  style  of  chirography, 
yet  all  attesting  the  faithfulness  of  the  narrative.  I 
would  have  given  anything  for  that  copy,  but  I  do 
not  believe  I  could  have  purchased  it  with  the  price 
of  the  whole  island." 

What  but  that  wonderful  element  of  genius,  intu 
itive  perception^  could  have  produced  such  a  book  ? 
Irving  was  never  on  the  Columbia  River,  never  saw 
the  northwest  coast.  "The  materials  were  fur 
nished  him  from  the  log-books  and  journals  of  the 
explorers  themselves,"  says  Dr.  Dryasdust.  True, 
my  learned  friend,  but  suppose  I  furnish  you  with 
pallet  and  colors,  with  canvas  and  brushes,  the  ma 
terials  of  art,  will  you  paint  me  as  I  sit  here,  and 
make  a  living,  breathing  picture,  that  will  survive 
my  ashes  for  centuries  ?  "I  have  not  the  genius  of 


38  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  artist,"  replies  Dr.  Dryasdust.  Then,  my  dear 
Doctor,  we  will  put  the  materials  aside  for  the  pre 
sent,  and  venture  a  little  farther  with  our  theory  of 
"  intuitive  perception." 

Longfellow  never  saw  the  Acadian  Land,  and  yet 
thus  his  pastoral  begins  : 

"  This  is  the  forest  primeval.     The  murmuring  pines  and  the  hem 
locks." 

This  is  the  opening  line  of  the  poem  :  this  is  the 
striking  feature  of  JSTova  Scotia  scenery.  The  shores 
welcome  us  with  waving  masses  of  foliage,  but  not 
the  foliage  of  familiar  woods.  As  we  travel  on  this 
hilly  road  to  the  Acadian  settlement,  we  look  up 
and  say,  "  This  is  the  forest  primeval,"  but  it  is  the 
forest  of  the  poem,  not  that  of  our  childhood.  There 
is  not,  in  all  this  vast  greenwood,  an  oak,  an  elm,  a 
chestnut,  a  beech,  a  cedar  or  maple.  For  miles  and 
miles,  we  see  nothing  against  the  clear  blue  sky  but 
the  spiry  tops  of  evergreens ;  or  perhaps,  a  gigantic 
skeleton,  "  a  rampike,"  pine  or  hemlock,  scathed 
and  spectral,  stretches  its  gaunt  outline  above  its 
fellows.  Spruces  and  firs,  such  as  adorn  our  gar 
dens,  cluster  in  never-ending  profusion  ;  an  aro 
matic  and  unwonted  odor  pervades  the  air — the 
spicy  breath  of  resinous  balsams.  Sometimes  the 
sense  is  touched  with  a  new  fragrance,  and  presently 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  39 

we  see  a  buckthorn,  white  with  a  thousand  blossoms, 
These,  however,  only  meet  us  at  times.  The  distinct 
and  characteristic  feature  of  the  fosest  is  conveyed 
in  that  one  line  of  the  poet. 

And  yet  another  feature  of  the  forest  primeval 
presents  itself,  not  less  striking  and  unfamiliar. 
From  the  dead  branches  of  those  skeleton  pines  and 
hemlocks,  these  rampifces,  hang  masses  of  white 
moss,  snow-white,  amid  the  dark  verdure.  An 
actor  might  wear  such  a  beard  in  the  play  of  King 
Lear.  Acadian  children  wore  such  to  imitate 
" grandpere"  centuries  ago;  Cowley's  trees  are 
"  Patricians,"  these  are  Patriarchs. 

"  THE  murmuring  pines  and  the  hemlocks, 

Bearded  with  moss,  and  in  garments  green,  indistinct  in  the  twilight, 
Stand  like  Druids  of  old,  with  voices  sad  and  prophetic, 
Stand  like  harpers  hoar  with  beards  that  rest  on  their  bosoms." 

"We  are  re-reading  Evangeline  line  by  line.  And 
here,  at  this  turn  of  the  road,  we  encounter  two 
Acadian  peasants.  The  man  wears  an  old  tarpaulin 
hat,  home-spun,  worsted  shirt,  and  tarry  canvas 
trowsers  ;  innovation  has  certainly  changed  him,  in 
costume  at  least,  from  the  Acadian  of  our  fancy ; 
but  the  pretty  brown-skinned  girl  beside  him,  with 
lustrous  eyes,  and  soft  black  hair  under  her  hood, 
with  kirtle  of  antique  form,  and  petticoat  of  holiday 
homespun,  is  true  to  tradition.  There  is  nothing 


4:0  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

modern  in  the  face  or  drapery  of  that  figure.  She 
might  have  stepped  out  of  Normandy  a  century 
ago, 

"  Wearing  her  Norman  cap,  and  herkirtle  of  blue,  and  the  ear-rings 
Brought  in  the  olden  time  from  France,  and  since,  as  an  heir-loom, 
Handed  down  from  mother  to  child,  through  long  generations." 

Alas !  the  ear-rings  are  worn  out  with  age !  but 
save  them,  the  picture  is  very  true  to  the  life.  As 
we  salute  the  pair,  we  learn  they  have  been  walking 
on  their  way  since  dawn  from  distant  Chezzetcook : 
the  man  speaks  English  with  a  strong  French 
accent ;  the  maiden  only  the  language  of  her 
people  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine. 

"  Fair  was  she  to  behold,  that  maiden  of  seventeen  summers, 
Black  were  her  eyes  as  the  berry  that  grows  on  the  thorn  by  the 

way-side : 

Black,  yet  how  softly  they  gleamed  beneath  the  bro^vn  shade  of 
her  tresses." 

Who  can  help  repeating  the  familiar  words  of  the 
idyl  amid  such  scenery,  and  in  such  a  presence  ? 

"  We  are  now  approaching  a  Negro  settlement," 
said  my  compagnon  de  voyage  after  we  had  passed 
the  Acadians  ;  "  and  we  will  take  a  fresh  horse  at 
Deer's  Castle ;  this  is  rough  travelling."  In  a  few 
minutes  we  saw  a  log  house  perched  on  a  bare  bone 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  41 

of  granite  that  stood  out  on  a  ragged  hill-side,  and 
presently  another  cabin  of  the  same  kind  came  in 
view.  Then  other  scare-crow  edifices  wheeled  in 
sight  as  we  drove  along ;  all  forlorn,  all  patched 
with  mud,  all  perched  on  barren  knolls,  or  gigantic 
bars  of  granite,  high  up,  like  ragged  redoubts  of 
poverty,  armed  at  every  window  with  a  formidable 
artillery  of  old  hats,  rolls  of  rags,  quilts,  carpets, 
and  indescribable  bundles,  or  barricaded  with 
boards  to  keep  out  the  air  and  sun-shine. 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  say  those  wretched  hovels 
are  occupied  by  living  beings  ?"  said  I  to  my  com 
panion. 

"  Oh  yes,"  he  replied,  with  a  quiet  smile,  "  these 
are  your  people,  your  fugitives" 

"  But,  surely,"  said  I,  u  they  do  not  live  in  those 
airy  nests  during  your  intensely  cold  winters  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  my  companion,  "  and  they  have  a 
pretty  hard  time  of  it.  Between  you  and  I,"  he 
continued,  "  they  are  a  miserable  set  of  devils  ; 
they  won't  work,  and  they  shiver  it  out  here  as  well 
as  they  can.  During  the  most  of  the  year  they  are 
in  a  state  of  abject  want,  and  then  they  are  very 
humble.  But  in  the  strawberry  season  they  make 
a  little  money,  and  while  it  lasts  are  fat  and  saucy 
enough.  We  can't  do  anything  with  them,  they 
won't  work.  There  they  are  in  their  cabins,  just  as 


42  ACADIA,      OR    A    MONTH 

you  see  them,  a  poor,  woe-begone  set  of  vagabonds ; 
a  burden  upon  the  community  ;  of  no  use  to  them 
selves,  nor  to  anybody  else." 

"  Ye  who  listen  with  credulity  to  the  whispers  of 
fancy  and  pursue  with  eagerness  the  phantoms  of 
hope,  who  expect  that  age  will  perform  the  pro 
misee  of  youth,  and  that  the  deficiencies  of  the  pre 
sent  day  will  be  supplied  by  the  morrow,  attend  to 
the  history  of  Rasselas,  here  in  his  happy  valley." 

"  "Now  then,"  said  my  companion,  as  this  trite 
quotation  was  passing  through  my  mind.  The 
wagon  had  stopped  in  front  of  a  little,  weather- 
beaten  house  that  kept  watch  and  ward  over  an  acre 
of  greensward,  broken  ever  and  anon  with  a  pro 
jecting  bone  of  granite,  and  not  only  fenced  with 
stone,  but  dotted  also  with  various  mounds  of  peb 
bles,  some  as  large  as  a  paving-stone,  and  some 
much  larger.  This  was  "  Deer's  Castle."  In  front 
of  the  castle  was  a  swing-sign  with  an  inscription  : 

**  WILLIAM  DEER,  who  lives  here, 
Keeps  the  best  of  wine  and  beer, 
Brandy,  and  cider,  and  other  good  cheer ; 
Fish,  and  ducks,  and  moose,  and  deer, 
Caught  or  shot  in  the  woods  just  here, 
With  cutlets,  or  steaks,  as  will  appear ; 
If  you  will  stop  you  need  not  fear 
But  you  will  be  well  treated  by  WILLIAM  DEER, 
And  by  Mrs.  DEER,  his  dearest,  deary  dear!" 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  43 

I  quote  from  memory.  The  precise  words  have 
escaped  me,  but  the  above  is  the  substance  of  the 
sense,  and  the  metre  is  accurate. 

It  was  a  little,  weather-beaten  shanty  of  boards, 
that  clung  like  flakes  to  the  frame-work.  A  show- 
box  of  a  room,  papered  with  select  wood-cuts  from 
Punch  and  the  Illustrated  London  News,  was  the 
grand  banquet-hall  of  the  castle.  And  indeed  it 
was  a  castle  compared  with  the  wretched  redoubts 
of  poverty  around  it.  Here  we  changed  horses,  or 
rather  we  exchanged  our  horse,  for  a  diminutive, 
bantam  pony,  that,  under  the  supervision  of  "Bill," 
was  put  inside  the  shafts  and  buckled  up  to  the 
very  roots  of  the  harness.  This  Bill,  the  son  and 
heir  of  the  Castellen,  was  a  good-natured  yellow 
boy,  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  with  such  a  develop 
ment  of  under-lip  and  such  a  want  of  development 
elsewhere,  that  his  head  looked  like  a  scoop.  There 
was  an  infinite  fund  of  humor  in  Billy,  an  uncon 
trollable  sense  of  the  comic,  that  would  break  out 
in  spite  of  his  grave  endeavors  to  put  himself  under 
guard.  It  exhibited  itself  in  his  motions  and  ges 
tures,  in  the  flourish  of  his  hands  as  he  buckled  up 
the  pony,  in  the  looseness  of  his  gait,  the  swing  of 
his  head,  and  the  roll  of  his  eyes.  His  very  lan 
guage  was  pregnant  with  mirth ;  thus  : 

"Bill!" 


44  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

"Cheli,  cheh,  sir?  cheh." 

"  Is  your  father  at  home  ?" 

"  Cheh,  cheh,  father?  cheh,  cheh." 

"  Yes,  your  father  ?" 

"  Cheh,  cheh,  at  home,  sah  ?  cheh." 

"  Yes,  is  your  father  at  home  ?" 

"  I  guess  so,  cheh,  cheh." 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Bill  ?  what  are 
you  laughing  about  ?" 

"  Cheh,  cheh,  I  don't  know,  sah,  cheh,  cheh." 

"  Well,  take  out  the  horse,  and  put  in  the  pony ; 
we  want  to  go  to  Chizzencook." 

"  Cheh,  Cheh'z'ncook  ?  Yes,  sah,"  and  so  with 
that  facetious  gait  and  droll  twist  of  the  elbow,  Bill 
swings  himself  against  the  horse  and  unbuckles 
him  in  a  perpetual  jingle  of  merriment. 

"  And  this,"  said  I  to  my  companion,  as  we  looked 
from  the  door-step  of  the  shanty  upon  the  spiry  tops 
of  evergreens  in  the  valley  below  us,  and  at  the 
wretched  log-huts  that  were  roosting  up  on  the  bare 
rocks  around  us,  "  this  is  the  negro  settlement  ?" 

"  Yes,"  he  replied. 

"  Are  all  the  negro  settlements  in  Nova  Scotia 
as  miserable  as  this  ?" 

"  Yes,"  he  answered ;  "  you  can  tell  a  negro  set 
tlement  at  once  by  its  appearance." 

"  Then,"  I  thought  to  myself,  "  I  would,  for  poor 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  45 

Cuffee's  sake,  that  much-vaunted  British  sympathy 
and  British  philanthropy  had  something  better  to 
show  to  an  admiring  world  than  the  prospect 
around  Deer's  Castle." 

Notwithstanding  the  very  generous  banquet 
spread  before  the  eyes  of  the  traveller,  on  the 
sign-board,  we  were  compelled  to  dismiss  the  pleas 
ant  fiction  of  the  poet  upon  the  announcement  of 
Mrs.  Deer,  that  "  Nathin  was  in  de  house  'cept 
bacon,"  and  she  "  reckoned  "  she  "  might  have  an 
egg  or  two  by  de  time  we  got  back  from  Chizzin- 
cook." 

"  But  you  have  plenty  of  trout  here  in  these 
streams  ?" 

"  Oh  !  yes,  plenty,  sah." 

"  Then  let  Bill  catch  some  trout  for  us." 

And  so  the  pony  being  strapped  up  and  buckled 
to  the  wagon,  we  left  the  negro  settlement  for  the 
French  settlement.  They  are  all  in  "  settlements," 
here,  the  people  of  this  Province.  Centuries  are 
mutable,  but  prejudices  never  alter  in  the  Colonies. 

But  we  are  again  in  the  Acadian  forest — a  truce 
to  moralizing — let  us  enjoy  the  scenery.  The  road 
we  are  on  is  but  a  few  miles  from  the  sea-shore,  but 
the  ocean  is  hidden  from  view  by  the  thick  woods. 
As  we  ride  along,  however,  we  skirt  the  edges  of 
coves  and  inlets  that  frequently  break  in  upon  the 


4:6  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

landscape.  There  is  a  chain  of  fresh-water  lakes 
also  along  this  road ;  sometimes  we  cross  a  bridge 
over  a  rushing  torrent ;  sometimes  a  calm  expanse 
of  water,  doubling  the  evergreens  at  its  margin, 
comes  in  view  ;  anon  a  gleam  of  sapphire  strikes 
through  the  verdure,  and  an  ocean-bay  with  its 
shingly  beach  curves  in  and  out  between  the  piny 
slopes.  At  last  we  reach  the  crest  of  a  hill,  and  at 
the  foot  of  the  road  is  another  bridge,  a  house,  a 
wharf,  and  two  or  three  coasters  at  anchor  in  a 
diminutive  harbor.  This  is  "  Three  Fathom  Har 
bor."  "We  are  within  a  mile  of  Chezzetcook. 

Now  if  it  were  not  for  Pony  we  should  press  on 
to  the  settlement,  but  we  must  give  Pony  a  respite. 
Pony  is  an  enthusiastic  little  fellow,  but  his  lungs 
are  too  much  for  him,  they  have  blown  him  out 
like  a  bag-pipe.  A  mile  farther  and  then  eleven 
miles  back  to  Deer's  Castle,  is  a  great  undertaking 
for  so  small  an  animal.  In  the  meanwhile,  we  will 
ourselves  rest  and  take  some  "home-brewed"  with 
the  landlord,  who  is  harbor-master,  inn-keeper,  store 
keeper,  fisherman,  shipper,  skipper,  mayor,  and  cor 
poration  of  Three  Fathom  Harbor,  beside  being  fa 
ther  of  the  town,  for  all  the  children  in  it  are  his  own. 
A  draught  of  foaming  ale,  a  whiff  or  two  from  a  clay 
pipe,  a  look  out  of  the  window  to  be  assured  that 
Pony  had  subsided,  and  we  take  leave  of  the  corpo- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  47 

rate  authority  of  Three  Fathom  Harbor,  and  are 
once  more  on  the  road. 

One  can  scarcely  draw  near  to  a  settlement  of 
these  poor  refugees  without  a  feeling  of  pity  for 
the  sufferings  they  have  endured ;  and  this  spark 
of  pity  quickly  warms  and  kindles  into  indignation 
when  we  think  of  the  story  of  hapless  Acadia — the 
grievous  wrong  done  those  simple-minded,  harm 
less,  honest  people,  by  the  rapacious,  free-booting 
adventurers  of  merry  England,  and  those  precious 
filibusters,  our  Pilgrim  Fathers. 

The  early  explorations  of  the  French  in  the 
young  hemisphere  which  Columbus  had  revealed 
to  the  older  half  of  the  world,  have  been  almost 
entirely  obscured  by  the  greater  events  which  fol 
lowed.  Nearly  a  century  after  the  first  colonies 
were  established  in  New  France,  New  England 
was  discovered.  I  shall  not  dwell  upon  the  impor 
tance  of  this  event,  as  it  has  been  so  often  alluded 
to  by  historians  and  others ;  and,  indeed,  I  believe 
it  is  generally  acknowledged  now,  that  the  finding 
of  the  continent  itself  would  have  been  a  failure 
had  it  not  been  for  the  discovery  of  Massachusetts. 
As  this,  however,  happened  long  after  the  establish 
ment  of  Acadia,  and  as  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  did  not 
interfere  with  their  French  neighbors  for  a  surpris 
ing  length  of  time,  it  will  be  as  well  not  to  expa- 


4:8  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

tiate  upon  it  at  present.  In  the  course  of  a  couple 
of  centuries  or  so,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  allude 
to  it,  in  connection  with  the  story  of  the  neutral 
French. 

In  the  year  1504,  says  the  Chronicle,  some  fisher 
men  from  Brittany  discovered  the  island  that  now 
forms  the  eastern  division  of  Nova  'Scotia,  and 
named  it  "  Cape  Breton."  Two  years  after,  Dennys 
of  Harfleur,  made  a  rude  chart  of  the  vast  sheet  of 
water  that  stretches  from  Cape  Breton  and  New 
foundland  to  the  main-land.  In  1534,  Cartier,  sail 
ing  under  the  orders  of  the  French  Admiral, 
Chabot,  visited  the  coast  of  Newfoundland,  crossed 
the  gulf  Dennys  had  seen  and  described  twenty- 
eight  years  before,  and  took  possession  of  the  coun 
try  around  it,  in  the  name  of  the  king,  his  master. 
As  Cartier  was  recrossing  the  Gulf,  on  his  return 
voyage,  he  named  the  waters  he  was  sailing  upon 
"  St.  Lawrence,"  in  honor  of  that  saint  whose  day 
chanced  to  turn  up  on  the  calendar  at  that  very 
happy  time.  According  to  some  accounts,  Baron 
de  Lery  established  a  settlement  here  as  early  as 
1518.  Some  authorities  state  that  a  French  colony 
was  planted  on  the  St.  Lawrence  as  early  as  1524, 
arid  soon  after  others  were  formed  in  Canada  and 
Nova  Scotia.  In  1535,  Cartier  again  crossed  the 
waters  of  the  Gulf,  and  following  the  course  of  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  49 

river,  penetrated  into  the  interior  until  he  reached 
an  island  upon  which  was  a  hill;  this  he  named 
"Mont  Real"  Yarious  adventurers  followed  these 
first  discoverers  and  explorers,  and  the  coast  was 
from  time  to  time  visited  by  French  ships,  in  pur 
suit  of  the  fisheries. 

Among  these  expeditions,  one  of  the  most  emi 
nent  was  that  of  Champlain,  who,  in  the  year  1609, 
penetrated  as  far  south  as  the  head  waters  of  the 
Hudson  River;  visited  Lake  George  and  the  cascades 
of  Ticonderoga;  and  gave  his  own  name  to  the 
lake  which  lies  between  the  proud  shores  of  New 
York  and  New  England.  Thence  le  Sr.  Champlain, 
"Capitaine  pour  le  Roy"  travelled  westward,  as 
far  as  the  country  of  the  Hurons,  giving  to  the 
discovered  territory  the  title  of  Nouvelle  France ; 
and  to  the  lakes  Ontario,  Erie,  and  Huron,  the 
names  of  St.  Louis,  Mer  Douce,  and  Grand  Lac ; 
which  any  person  can  see  by  referring  to  the  origi 
nal  chart  in  the  State  library  of  New  York.  But 
before  these  discoveries  of  Champlain,  an  important 
step  had  been  taken  by  the  parent  government.  In 
the  year  1603,  an  expedition,  under  the  patronage 
of  Henry  IY.,  sailed  for  the  New  "World.  The 
leader  of  this  was  a  Protestant  gentleman,  by  name 
De  Monts.  As  the  people  under  his  command  were 
both  Protestants  and  Catholics,  De  Monts  had  per- 


50  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

mission  given  in  his  charter  to  establish,  as  one  of 
the  fundamental  laws  of  the  Colony,  the  free  exer 
cise  of  "  religious  worship,"  upon  condition  of  set 
tling  in  the  country,  and  teaching  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith  to  the  savages.  Heretofore,  all  the 
countries  discovered  by  the  French  had  been  called 
New  France,  but  in  De  Monts'  Patent,  that  portion 
of  the  territory  lying  east  of  the  Penobscot  and 
embracing  the  present  provinces  of  New  Bruns 
wick,  Nova  Scotia,  and  part  of  Maine  was  named 
"  Acadie." 

The  little  colony  under  De  Monts  flourished  in 
spite  of  the  rigors  of  the  climate,  and  its  com 
mander,  with  a  few  men,  explored  the  coast  on  the 
St.  Lawrence  and  the  bay  of  Fundy,  as  well  as  the 
rivers  of  Maine,  the  Penobscot,  the  Kennebec,  the 
Saco  and  Casco  Bay,  and  even  coasted  as  far  south 
as  the  long,  hook-shaped  cape  that  is  now  known  in 
all  parts  of  the  world  as  the  famous  Cape  Cod.  In 
a  few  years,  the  settlement  began  to  assume  a  smil 
ing  aspect ;  houses  were  erected,  and  lands  were 
tilled ;  the  settlers  planted  seeds  and  gathered  the 
increase  thereof ;  gardens  sprang  out  of  the  wilder 
ness,  peace  and  order  reigned  everywhere,  and  the 
savage  tribes  around  viewed  the  kind,  light-hearted 
colonists  with  admiration  and  fraternal  good- will. 
It  is  pleasant  to  read  this  part  of  the  chronicle — of 


WITH    THE    BLUE     NOSES.  51 

their  social  meetings  in  the  winter  at  the  banquet 
ing  hall;  of  the  order  of  " Le  Bon  Temps"  estab 
lished  by  Champlain  ;  of  the  great  pomp  and 
insignia  of  office  (a  collar,  a  napkin,  and  staff)  of 
the  grand  chamberlain,  whose  government  only- 
lasted  for  a  day,  when  he  was  supplanted  by  an 
other  ;  of  their  dinners  in  the  sunshine  amid  the 
corn-fields ;  of  their  boats,  banners,  and  music  on 
the  water ;  of  their  gentleness,  simplicity,  and 
honest,  hearty  enjoyments.  These  halcyon  days 
soon  came  to  an  end.  The  infamous  Captain  Ar- 
gall,  hearing  that  a  number  of  white  people  had 
settled  in  this  hyperborean  region,  set  sail  from 
Jamestown  for  the  colony,  in  a  ship  of  fourteen 
guns,  in  the  midst  of  a  profound  peace,  to  burn,  pil 
lage,  and  slaughter  the  intruders  upon  the  territory 
of  Yirginia !  Finding  the  people  unprepared  for 
defence,  his  enterprise  was  successful.  Argall  took 
possession  of  the  lands,  in  the  name  of  the  King  of 
England,  laid  waste  some  of  the  settlements,  burned 
the  forts,  and,  under  circumstances  of  peculiar  per 
fidy,  induced  a  number  of  the  poor  Acadians  to  go 
with  him  to  Jamestown.  Here  they  were  treated 
as  pirates,  thrown  into  prison,  and  sentenced  to  be 
executed.  Argall,  who  it  seems  had  some  touch  of 
manhood  in  his  nature,  upon  this  confessed  to  the 
Governor,  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  that  these  people 


52  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

a  patent  from  the  King  of  France,  which  he  had 
stolen  from  them  and  concealed,  and  that  they  were 
not  pirates,  but  simply  colonists.  Upon  this,  Sir 
Thomas  Dale  was  induced  to  fit  out  an  expedition 
to  dislodge  the  rest  of  them  from  Acadia.  Three 
ships  were  got  ready,  the  brave  Captain  Argall  was 
appointed  commander-in-chief,  and  the  first  colony 
was  terminated  by  fire  and  sword  before  the  end  of 
the  year.  This  was  in  1613,  ten  years  after  the  first 
planting  of  Acadia. 

"  Some  of  the  settlers,"  says  the  Chronicle, 
"finding  resistance  to  be  unavailing,  fled  to  the 
woods."  "What  became  of  them  history  does  not 
inform  us,  but  with  a  graceful  appearance  of  candor, 
relates  that  the  transaction  itself  "  was  not  approved 
of  by  the  court  of  England,  nor  resented  by  that  of 
France."  Five  years  afterward  we  find  Captain 
Argall  appointed  Deputy-Governor  of  Virginia. 

This  outrage  was  the  initial  letter  only  of  a  series 
that  for  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  after,  made  the 
successive  colonists  of  Acadia  the  prey  of  their 
rapacious  neighbors.  We  shall  take  up  the  story 
from  time  to  time,  gentle  reader,  as  we  voyage 
around  and  through  the  province.  Meanwrhile  let" 
us  open  our  eyes  again  upon  the  present,  for  just 
below  us  lies  the  village  and  harbor  of  Chezzetcook. 

A  conspiracy  of  earth  and  air  and  ocean  had  cer« 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  53 

tainly  broken  out  that  morning,  for  the  ominous 
lines  of  Fog  and  Mist  were  hovering  afar  off  upon 
the  boundaries  of  the  horizon.  Under  the  crystal 
line  azure  of  a  summer  sky,  the  water  of  the  harbor 
had  an  intensity  of  color  rarely  seen,  except  in  the 
pictures  of  the  most  ultra-marine  painters.  Here 
and  there  a  green  island  or  a  fishing-boat  rested 
upon  the  surface  of  the  tranquil  blue.  For  miles 
and  miles  the  eye  followed  indented  grassy  slopes, 
that  rolled  away  on  either  side  of  the  harbor,  and 
the  most  delicate  pencil  could  scarcely  portray  the 
exquisite  line  of  creamy  sand  that  skirted  their 
edges  and  melted  off  in  the  clear  margin  of  the 
water.  Occasional  little  cottages  nestle  among 
these  green  banks,  not  the  Acadian  houses  of  the 
poem,  "  with  thatched  roofs,  and  dormer  windows 
projecting,"  but  comfortable,  homely-looking  build 
ings  of  modern  shapes,  shingled  and  un-weather- 
cocked.  No  cattle  visible,  no  ploughs  nor  horses. 
Some  of  the  men  are  at  work  in  the  open  air ;  all  in 
tarpaulin  hats,  all  in  tarry  canvas  trowsers.  These 
are  boat-builders  and  coopers.  Simple,  honest,  and 
good-tempered  enough ;  you  see  how  courteously 
they  salute  us  as  we  ride  by  them.  In  front  of  every 
house  there  is  a  knot  of  curious  little  faces ;  Young 
Acadia  is  out  this  bright  day,  and  although  Young 
Acadia  has  not  a  clean  face  on,  yet  its  kair  is  of  the 


54:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

darkest  and  softest,  and  its  eyes  are  lustrous  and 
most  delicately  fringed.  Yonder  is  one  of  the 
veterans  of  the  place,  so  we  will  tie  Pony  to  the 
fence,  and  rest  here. 

"  Fine  day  you  have  here,"  said  my  companion. 

"  Oh  yes !  oh  yes !"  (with  great  deference  and 
politeness). 

"  Can  you  give  us  anything  in  the  way  of  refresh 
ment?  a  glass  of  ale,  or  a  glass  of  milk?" 

"  Oh  no !"  (with  the  unmistakable  shrug  of  the 
shoulders) ;  "  we  no  have  milk,  no  have  ale,  no  have 
brandy,  no  have  noting  here :  ah !  we  very  poor 
peep'  here."  (Poor  people  here.) 

"  Can  we  sit  down  and  rest  in  one  of  your 
houses  ?" 

"Oh  yes!  oh  yes!"  (with  great  politeness  an-d 
alacrity) ;  "  walk  in,  walk  in  ;  we  very  poor  peep', 
no  milk,  no  brandy  :  walk  in." 

The  little  house  is  divided  by  a  partition.  The 
larger  half  is  the  hall,  the  parlor,  kitchen,  and  nur 
sery  in  one.  A  huge  fire-place,  an  antique  spin 
ning-wheel,  a  bench,  and  two  settles,  or  high- 
backed  seats,  a  table,  a  cradle  and  a  baby  very 
wide  awake,  complete  the  inventory.  In  the  apart 
ment  adjoining  is  a  bin  that  represents,  no  doubt,  a 
French  bedstead  of  the  early  ages.  Everything  is 
suggestive  of  boat-builders,  of  Robinson  Crusoe 


WITH     THE     BLUE     NOSES.  55 

work,  of  undisciplined  hands,  that  have  had  to  do 
with  ineffectual  tools.  As  you  look  at  the  walls, 
you  see  the  house  is  built  of  timbers,  squared  and 
notched  together,  and  caulked  with  moss  or  oakum. 
"  Yery  poor  peep'  here,"  says  the  old  man,  with 
every  finger  on  his  hands  stretched  out  to  deprecate 
the  fact.  By  the  fire-side  sits  an  old  woman,  in  a 
face  all  cracked  and  seamed  with  wrinkles,  like 
a  picture  by  one  of  the  old  masters.  "  Yes,"  she 
echoes,  "  very  poor  peep'  here,  and  very  cold,  too, 
sometime."  By  this  time  the  door- way  is  entirely 
packed  with  little,  black,  shining  heads,  and  curious 
faces,  all  shy,  timid,  and  yet  not  the  less  good- 
natured.  Just  back  of  the  cradle  are  two  of  the 
Acadian  women,  "  knitters  i'  the  sun,"  with  fea 
tures  that  might  serve  for  Palmer's  sculptures ;  and 
eyes  so  lustrous,  and  teeth  so  white,  and  cheeks  so 
rich  with  brown  and  blush,  that  if  one  were  a  pain 
ter  and  not  an  invalid,  he  might  pray  for  canvas  and 
pallet  as  the  very  things  most  wanted  in  the  criti 
cal  moment  of  his  life.  Faed's  picture  does  not 
convey  the  Acadian  face.  The  mouth  and  chin  are 
more  delicate  in  the  real  than  in  the  ideal  Evange- 
line.  If  you  look  again,  after  the  first  surprise  is 
over,  you  will  see  that  these  are  the  traditional  pic 
tures,  such  as  we  might  have  fancied  they  should 
be,  after  reading  the  idyl.  From  the  forehead 


56,  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

of  each  you  see  at  a  glance  how  the  dark  mass  of 
hair  has  been  combed  forward  and  over  the  face, 
that  the  little  triangular  Korman  cap  might  be  tied 
across  the  crown  of  the  head.  Then  the  hair  is 
thrown  back  again  over  this,  so  as  to  form  a  large 
bow  in  front,  then  re-tied  at  the  crown  with  colored 
ribbons.  Then  you  see  it  has  been  plaited  in  a 
shining  mesh,  brought  forward  again,  and  braided 
with  ribbons,  so  that  it  forms,  as  it  were,  a  pretty 
coronet,  well-placed  above  those  brilliant  eyes  and 
harmonious  features.  This,  with  the  antique  kirtle 
and  picturesque  petticoat,  is  an  Acadian  portrait. 
Such  is  it  now,  and  such  it  was,  no  doubt,  when  De 
Monts  sailed  from  Havre  de  Grace,  two  centuries 
and  a  half  ago.  In  visiting  this  kind  and  simple 
people,  one  can  scarcely  forget  the  little  chapel. 
The  young  French  priest  was  in  his  garden,  behind 
the  little  tenement,  set  apart  for  him  by  the  piety 
of  his  flock,  and  readily  admitted  us.  A  small 
place  indeed  was  it,  but  clean  and  orderly,  the  altar 
decorated  with  toy  images,  that  were  not  too  large 
for  a  Christmas  table.  Yet  I  have  been  in  the 
grandest  tabernacles  of  episcopacy  with  lesser  feel 
ings  of  respect  than  those  which  were  awakened  in 
that  tiny  Acadian  chapel.  Peace  be  with  it,  and 
with  its  gentle  flock. 

"  Pony  is  getting  impatient,"  said  my  compa- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  57 

nion,  as  we  reverently  stepped  from  the  door-way, 
"  and  it  is  a  long  ride  to  Halifax."  So,  with  cour 
teous  salutation  on  both  sides,  we  take  leave  of  the 
good  father,  and  once  more  are  on  the  road  to 
Deer's  Castle. 


58  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER  III. 

i 

A  Romp  at  Three  Fathom  Harbor — The  Moral  Condition  of  the 
Acadians — The  Wild  Flowers  of  Nova  Scotia — Mrs.  Deer's  Wit — 
No  Fish — Picton — The  Balaklava  Schooner — And  a  Voyage  to 
Louisburgh. 

PONY  is  very  enterprising.  We  are  soon  at  the 
top  of  the  first  long  hill,  and  look  again,  for  the  last 
time,  upon  the  Acadian  village.  How  cosily  and 
quietly  it  is  nestled  down  amid  those  graceful  green 
slopes  !  What  a  bit  of  poetry  it  is  in  itself  !  Jog 
on,  Pony ! 

The  corporate  authority  of  Three  Fathom  Harbor 
has  been  improving  his  time  during  our  absence. 
As  we  drive  up  we  find  him  in  high  romp  with  a 
brace  of  buxom,  red-cheeked,  Nova  Scotia  girls, 
who  have  just  alighted  from  a  wagon.  The  land 
lady  of  Three  Fathom  Harbor,  in  her  matronly  cap, 
is  smiling  over  the  little  garden  gate  at  her  lord, 
who  is  pursuing  his  Daphnes,  and  catching,  and 
kissing,  and  hugging,  first  one  and  then  the  other, 
to  his  heart's  content.  Notwithstanding  their 


WITH    THE     BLUE    NOSES.  59 

screams,  and  slaps,  and  robust  struggles,  it  is  very 
plain  to  be  seen  that  the  skipper's  attentions  are  not 
very  unwelcome.  Leaving  his  fair  friends,  he 
catches  Pony  by  the  bridle  and  stops  us  with  a  hos 
pitable — "  Come  in — you  must  come  in  ;  just  a  glass 
of  ale,  you'll  want  it;"  and  sure  enough,  we  found 
when  we  came  to  taste  the  ale,  that  we  did  want  it, 
and  many  thanks  to  him,  the  kind-hearted  landlord 
of  the  Three  Fathoms. 

"  It  is  surprising,"  said  I  to  my  companion,  as  we 
rolled  again  over  the  road,  "  that  these  people,  these 
Acadians,  should  still  preserve  their  language  and 
customs,  so  near  to  your  principal  city,  and  yet  with 
no  more  affiliation  than  if  they  were  on  an  island  in 
the  South  Seas!" 

"  The  reason  of  that,"  he  replied,  "is  because  they 
stick  to  their  own  settlement ;  never  see  anything 
of  the  world  except  Halifax  early  in  the  morning ; 
never  marry  out  of  their  own  set ;  never  read — I 
do  not  believe  one  of  them  can  read  or  write — and 
are  in  fact  so  slow,  so  destitute  of  enterprise,  so 
much*  behind  the  age  " 

I  could  not  avoid  smiling.  My  companion  ob 
served  it.  "  What  are  you  thinking  about?"  said  he. 

The  truth  is,  I  was  thinking  of  Halifax,  which  was 
anything  but  a,  fast  place  ;  but  I  simply  observed : 

"•  Your  settlements  here  are  somewhat  novel  to  a 


60  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

stranger.  That  a  mere  handful  of  men  should  be 
so  near  your  city,  and  yet  so  isolated :  that  this  vil 
lage  of  a  few  hundred  only,  should  retain  its  customs 
and  language,  intact,  for  generation  after  genera 
tion,  within  walking  distance  of  Halifax,  seems  to 
me  unaccountable.  But  let  me  ask  you,"  I  con 
tinued,  "  what  is  the  moral  condition  of  the  Aca- 
dians?" 

"  As  for  that,"  said  he,  "  I  believe  it  stands  pretty 
fair.  I  do  not  think  an  Acadian  would  cheat,  lie, 
or  steal ;  I  know  that  the  women  are  virtuous,  and 
if  I  had  a  thousand  pounds  in  my  pocket  I  could 
sleep  with  confidence  in  any  of  their  houses, 
although  all  the  doors  were  unlocked  and  every 
body  in  the  village  knew  it." 

"  That,"  said  I,  "  reminds  one  of  the  poem  : 

'Neither  locks  had  they  to  their  doors,  nor  bars  to  their  windows, 
But  their  dwellings  were  open  as  day  and  the  hearts  of  their  owners; 
There  the  richest  was  poor,  and  the  poorest  lived  in  abundance.'  " 

Poor  exiles  !  You  will  never  see  the  Gasperau 
and  the  shore  of  the  Basin  of  Minas,  but  if  this  very 
feeble  life  I  have  holds  out,  I  hope  to  visit  Grandpre 
and  the  broad  meadows  that  gave  a  name  to  the 
village. 

One  thing  Longfellow  has  certainly  omitted  in 
"  Evangeline " — the  wild  flowers  of  Acadia.  The 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOsES.  61 

road-side  is  all  fringed  and  tasselled  with  white, 
pink,  and  purple.  The  wild  strawberries  are  in 
blossom,  whitening  the  turf  all  the  way  from  Hali 
fax  to  Chezzetcook.  You  see  their  starry  settle 
ments  thick  in  every  bit  of  turf.  These  are  the  sil 
ver  mines  of  poor  Cuffee ;  he  has  the  monopoly  of 
the  berry  trade.  It  is  his  only  revenue.  Then  in  the 
swampy  grounds  there  are  long  green  needles  in  soli 
tary  groups,  surmounted  with  snowy  tufts ;  and  here 
and  there,  clusters  of  light  purple  blossoms,  called 
laurel  flowers,  but  not  like  our  laurels,  spring  up 
from  the  bases  of  grey  rocks  and  boulders ;  some 
times  a  rich  array  of  blood-red  berries  gleams  out 
of  a  mass  of  greenery ;  then  again  great  floral  white 
radii,  tipped  with  snowy  petals,  rise  up  profuse  and 
lofty ;  down  by  the  ditches  hundreds  of  pitcher 
plants  lift  their  veined  and  mottled  vases,  brimming 
with  water,  to  the  wood-birds  who  drink  and  perch 
upon  their  thick  rims;  May-flowers  of  delightful 
fragrance  hide  beneath  those  shining,  tropical-look 
ing  leaves,  and  meadow-sweet,  not  less  fragrant,  but 
less  beautiful,  pours  its  tender  aroma  into  the  fresh 
air ;  here  again  we  see  the  buckthorn  in  blossom ; 
there,  scattered  on  the  turf,  the  scarlet  partridge 
berry  ;  then  wild-cherry  trees,  mere  shrubs  only,  in 
full  bud ;  and  around  all  and  above  all,  the  ever 
greens,  the  murmuring  pines,  and  the  hemlocks, 


62  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  rampikes — the  grey-beards  of  the  primeval 
forest ;  the  spicy  breath  of  resinous  balsams,  the 
spiry  tops,  and  the  serene  heaven.  Is  this  fairy 
land  ?  No,  it  is  only  poor,  old,  barren  Nova  Scotia, 
and  yet  I  think  Felix,  Prince  of  Salerno,  if  he  were 
here,  might  say,  and  say  truly  too,  "In  all  my  life 
I  never  beheld  a  more  enchanting  place  j"  but  Felix, 
Prince  of  Salerno,  must  remember  this  is  the  month 
of  June,  and  summer  is  not  perpetual  in  the  lati 
tude  of  forty-five. 

We  reach  at  last  Deer's  Castle.  Pony,  under  the 
hands  of  Bill,  seems  remarkably  cheerful  and  fresh 
after  his  long  travel  up  hill  and  down.  "When  he 
pops  out  of  his  harness,  with  his  knock-knees  and 
sturdy,  stocky  little  frame,  he  looks  very  like  an 
animated  sawbuck,  clothed  in  seal-skin  ;  and  with 
a  jump,  and  snort,  and  nourish  of  tail,  he  escorts 
Bill  to  the  stable,  as  if  twenty  miles  over  a  rough 
road  was  a  trine  not  worth  consideration. 

A  savory  odor  of  frying  bacon  and  eggs  stole  forth 
from  the  door  as  we  sat,  in  the  calm  summer  air, 
upon  the  stone  fence,  William  Deer,  Jr.,  was  wan 
dering  about  in  front  of  the  castle,  endeavoring  to 
get  control  of  his  under  lip  and  keep  his  exuberant 
mirth  within  the  limits  of  decorum  ;  but  every  in 
stant,  to  use  a  military  figure,  it  would  flash  in  the 
pan.  Up  on  the  bare  rocks  were  the  wretched,  woe« 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  63 

begone,  patched,  and  ragged  log  huts  of  poor  Cuf- 
fee.  The  hour  and  the  season  were  suggestive  of 
philosophizing,  of  theories,  and  questions. 

"  Mrs.  Deer,"  said  I,  "  is  that  your  husband's  por 
trait  on  the  back  of  the  sign  ?"  (there  was  a  picture 
of  a  stag  with  antlers  on  the  reverse  of  the  poetical 
swing-board,  either  intended  as  a  pictographic  pun 
upon  the  name  of  "  Deer,"  or  as  a  hint  to  sportsmen 
of  good  game  hereabouts). 

"  Why,"  replied  Mrs.  Deer,  an  old  tidy  wench, 
of  fifty,  pretty  well  bent  by  rheumatism,  and  so 
square  in  the  lower  half  of  her  figure,  and  so  spare 
in  the  upper,  that  she  appeared  to  have  been  carved 
out  of  her  own  hips  :  "  why,  as  to  dat,  he  ain't  good- 
looking  to  brag  on,  but  I  don't  think  he  looks  quite 
like  a  beast  neither. 

At  this  unexpected  retort,  Bill  flashed  off  so 
many  pans  at  once  that  he  seemed  to  be  a  platoon 
of  militia.  My  companion  also  enjoyed  it  im 
mensely.  Being  an  invalid,  I  could  not  participate 
in  the  general  mirth. 

"Mrs.  Deer,"  said  I,  "how  long  have  you  lived 
here  ?" 

"  Oh,  sah !  a  good  many  years  ;  I  cum  here  afore 
I  had  Bill  dar."  (Here  "William  flashed  in  the  pan 
twice.) 


64  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

"  Where  did  you  reside  before  you  came  to  Nova 
Scotia  ?" 

"Sail?" 

"  Where  did  you  live  ?" 

"  Oh,  sah  !  I  is  from  Maryland."  (William  at  it 
again.) 

"  Did  you  run  away  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah ;  I  left  when  I  was  young.  Bill,  what 
you  laughing  at?  /"was  young  once." 

"  Were  you  married  then — when  you  run  away  ?" 

"Oh  yes,  sah!"  (a  glance  at  Bill,  who  was  off 
again). 

"  And  left  your  husband  behind  in  Maryland  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah ;  but  he  didn't  stay  long  dar  after  I 
left.  He  was  after  me  putty  sharp,  soon  as  I  tra 
velled  ;"  (here  Mrs.  Deer  and  William  interchanged 
glances,  and  indulged  freely  in  mirth). 

"  And  which  place  do  you  like  the  best — this  or 
Maryland  ?" 

"  Why,  I  never  had  no  such  work  to  do  at  home 
as  I  have  to  do  here,  grubbiii'  up  old  stumps  and 
stones  ;  dem  isn't  women's  work.  When  I  was 
home,  I  had  only  to  wait  on  misses,  and  work  was 
light  and  easy."  (William  quiet.) 

"  But  which  place  do  you  like  the  best — Nova 
Scotia  or  Maryland  ?" 

"  Oh !  de  work  here  is  awful,  grubbin'  up  old 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  65 

stones  and  stumps ;  'tain't  fit  for  women."  (Wil 
liam  much  impressed  with  the  cogency  of  this 
repetition.) 

"  But  which  place  do  you  like  the  best  ?" 

"  And  de  winter  here,  oh !  it's  wonderful  tryin." 
(William  utters  an  affirmative  flash.) 

"  But  which  place  do  you  like  the  best  ?" 

"  And  den  dere's  de  rheumatiz." 

"But  which  place  do  you  like  the  best,  Mrs. 
Deer?" 

""Well,"  said  Mrs.  Deer,  glancing  at  Bill,  "I  like 
Nova  Scotia  best."  (Whatever  visions  of  Maryland 
were  gleaming  in  William's  mind,  seemed  to  be 
entirely  quenched  by  this  remark.) 

"  But  why,"  said  I,  "  do  you  prefer  Nova  Scotia 
to  Maryland  ?  Here  you  have  to  work  so  much 
harder,  to  suffer  so  much  from  the  cold  and  the 
rheumatism,  and  get  so  little  for  it;"  for  I  could 
not  help  looking  over  the  green  patch  of  stony 
grass  that  has  been  rescued  by  the  labor  of  a  quar 
ter  century. 

"  Oh !"  replied  Mrs.  Deer,  "  de  difference  is,  dat 
when  I  work  here,  I  work  for  myself,  and  when  I 
was  working  at  home,  I  was  working  for  other  peo 
ple."  (At  this,  William  broke  forth  again  in  such 
a  series  of  platoon  flashes  that  we  all  joined  rn 
with  infinite  merriment.) 


66  ACADIA,     OR     A    MONTH 

"  Mrs.  Deer,"  said  I,  recovering  my  gravity,  "  I 
want  to  ask  you  one  more  question." 

"  Well,  sah,"  said  the  lady  Deer,  cocking  her 
head  on  one  side,  expressive  of  being  able  to  an 
swer  any  number  of  questions  in  a  twinkling. 

"  You  have,  no  doubt,  still  many  relatives  left  in 
Maryland  ?" 

"  Oh!  yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Deer,  "all  of  dem  are 
dar." 

"And  suppose  you  had  a  chance  to  advise  them 
in  regard  to  this  matter,  would  you  tell  them  to  run 
away,  and  take  their  part  with  you  in  Nova  Scotia, 
or  would  you  advise  them  to  stay  where  they  are  ?" 

Mrs.  Deer,  at  this,  looked  a  long  time  at  William, 
and  William  looked  earnestly  at  his  parent.  Then 
she  cocked  her  head  on  the  other  side,  to  take  a 
new  view  of  the  question.  Then  she  gathered  up 
mouth  and  eyebrows,  in  a  puzzle,  and  again  broad 
ened  out  upon  Bill  in  an  odd  kind  of  smile ;  at  last 
she  doubled  up  one  fist,  put  it  against  her  cheek, 
glanced  at  Bill,  and  out  came  the  answer  :  "  Well, 
sah,  I'd  let  'em  take  dere  own  heads  for  dat !"  I 
must  confess  the  philosophy  of  this  remark  awak 
ened  in  me  a  train  of  very  grave  reflections ;  but 
my  companion  burst  into  a  most  obstreperous 
laugh.  As  for  Mrs.  Deer,  she  shook  her  old  hips 
as  long  as  she  could  stand,  and  then  sat  down  and 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  67 

continued,  until  she  wiped  the  tears  out  of  her  eyes 
with  the  corner  of  her  apron.  "William  cast  him 
self  down  upon  a  strawberry  bank,  and  gave  way 
to  the  most  flagrant  mirth,  kicking  up  his  old  shoes 
in  the  air,  and  fairly  wallowing  in  laughter  and 
blossoms.  I  endeavored  to  change  the  subject. 
"  Bill,  did  you  catch  any  trout  ?"  It  was  some  time 
before  William  could  control  himself  enough  to 
say,  "  Not  a  single  one,  sah ;"  and  then  he  rolled 
over  on  his  back,  put  his  black  paws  up  to  his  eyes, 
and  twitched  and  jingled  to  his  heart's  content.  I 
did  not  ask  Mrs.  Deer  any  more  questions ;  but 
there  is  a  moral  in  the  story,  enough  for  a  day. 

A.S  we  rattled  over  the  road,  after  our  brief  din 
ner  at  Deer's  Castle,  I  could  not  avoid  a  pervading 
feeling  of  gloom  and  disappointment,  in  spite  of 
the  balmy  air  and  pretty  landscape.  The  old  rag 
ged  abodes  of  wretchedness  seemed  to  be  too  clearly 
denned — to  stand  out  too  intrusively  against  the 
bright  blue  sky.  But  why  should  I  feel  so  much 
for  Cuffee  ?  Has  he  not  enlisted  in  his  behalf  every 
philanthropist  in  England  ?  Is  he  not  within  ten 
miles  of  either  the  British  flag  or  Acadia  ?  Does 
not  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland  entertain  the  au 
thoress  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  and  the  Black  Swan  ? 
Why  should  I  sorrow  for  Cuffee,  when  he  is  in  the 
midst  of  his  best  friends  ?  Why  should  I  pretend 


68  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

to  say  that  this  appears  to  be  the  raggedest,  the 
meanest,  the  worst  condition  of  humanity,  when  the 
papers  are  constantly  lauding  British  philanthropy, 
and  holding  it  up  as  a  great  example,  which  we 
must  "  bow  down  and  worship  ?"  For  my  own 
part,  although  the  pleasant  fiction  of  seeing  Cuffee 
clothed,  educated,  and  Christianized,  seemed  to  be 
somewhat  obscured  in  this  glimpse  of  his  real  con 
dition,  yet  I  hope  he  will  do  well  under  his  new 
owners ;  at  the  very  least,  I  trust  his  berry  crop 
will  be  good,  and  that  a  benevolent  British  blanket 
or  two  may  enable  him  to  shiver  out  the  winter 
safely,  if  not  comfortably.  Poor  William  Deer, 
Sen'r,  of  Deer's  Castle,  was  suffering  with  rheuma 
tism  in  the  next  apartment,  while  we  were  at  his 
eggs  and  bacon  in  the  banquet  hall ;  but  Deer  of 
Deer's  Castle  is  a  prince  to  his  neighbors.  I  shall 
not  easily  forget  the  brightening  eye,  the  swift 
glance  of  intelligence  in  the  face  of  another  old 
negro,  an  hostler,  in  Nova  Scotia.  He  was  from 
Virginia,  and  adopting  the  sweet,  mellifluous  lan 
guage  of  his  own  home,  I  asked  him  whether  he 
liked  best  to  stay  where  he  w^as,  or  go  back  to  "  Old 
Yirginny  ?"  "  O  massa  !"  said  he,  with  siich  a  look. 
"  you  must  know  dat  I  has  de  warmest  side  for  my 
own  country !" 
We  rattled  soberly  into  Dartmouth,  and  took  tho 


WITH    THE     BLUE    NOSES.  69 

ferry-boat  across  the  bay  to  the  city.  At  the  hotel 
there  was  no  little  questioning  about  Chezzetcook, 
for  some  of  the  Halifax  merchants  are  at  the 
"Waverley.  "  GOED  bless  ye,  what  took  ye  to  Cliiz- 
zencook  ?"  said  one,  "  I  never  was  there  een  in  my 
life ;  ther's  no  bizz'ness  ther,  noathing  to  be  seen  : 
ai  doant  think  there  is  a  maen  in  Halifax  scairsly, 
'as  ever  seen  the  place." 

At  the  supper-table,  while  we  were  discussing, 
over  the  cheese  and  ale,  the  Chezzetcook  and 
negro  settlements,  and  exhibiting  with  no  little 
vainglory  a  gorgeous  bunch  of  wild  flowers  (half  of 
which  vanity  my  compagnon  de  voyage  is  account 
able  for),  there  was  a  young  English-Irish  gentle 
man,  well  built,  well  featured,  well  educated :  by 
name — I  shall  call  him  Picton. 

Picton  took  much  interest  in  Deer's  Castle  and 
Chezzetcook,  but  slily  and  satirically.  I  do  not 
think  this  the  best  way  for  a  young  man  to  begin 
with ;  but  nevertheless,  Picton  managed  so  well  to 
keep  his  sarcasms  within  the  bounds  of  good 
hurnor,  that  before  eleven  o'clock  we  had  become 
pretty  well  acquainted.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  gas 
is  turned  off  at  Hotel  Waverley.  We  went  to  bed, 
and  renewed  the  acquaintance  at  breakfast.  Picton 
had  travelled  over-land  from  Montreal  to  take  the 
"  Canada  "  for  Liverpool,  and  had  arrived  too  late. 


70  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

Picton  had  nearly  a  fortnight  before  him  in  which 
to  anticipate  the  next  steamer.  Picton  was  terri 
bly  bored  with  Halifax.  Picton  wanted  to  go 
somewhere — where  ? — "  he  did  not  care  where." 
The  consequence  was  a  consultation  upon  the  best 
disposal  of  a  fortnight  of  waste  time,  a  general  sur 
vey  of  the  maritime  craft  of  Halifax,  the  selection 
of  the  schooner  "  Balaklava,"  bound  for  Sydney  in 
ballast,  and  an  understanding  with  the  captain, 
that  the  old  French  town  of  Louisburgh  was  the 
point  we  wished  to  arrive  at,  into  which  harbor  we 
expected  to  be  put  safely — three  hundred  and 
odd  miles  from  Halifax,  and  this  side  of  Sydney 
about  sixty-two  miles  by  sea.  To  all  this  did  cap 
tain  Capstan  "  seriously  incline,"  and  the  result 
was,  two  berths  in  the  "  Balaklava,"  several  cans 
of  preserved  meats  and  soups,  a  hamper  of  ale,  two 
bottles  of  Scotch  whisky,  a  ramshackle,  Halifax 
van  for  the  luggage,  a  general  shaking  of  hands  at 
departure,  and  another  set  of  white  sails  among  the 
many  white  sails  in  the  blue  harbor  of  Chebucto. 

The  "  Balaklava  "  glimmered  out  of  the  harbor. 
Slowly  and  gently  we  swept  past  the  islands  and 
great  ships ;  there  on  the  shore  is  Point  Pleasant  in 
full  uniform,  its  red  soldiers  and  yellow  tents  in  the 
thick  of  the  pines  and  spruces  ;  yonder  is  the  admi 
ralty,  and  the  "  Boscawen "  seventy-four,  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  71 

receiving-ship,  a  French  war-steamer,  and  mer 
chantmen  of  all  flags.  Slowly  and  gently  we  swept 
out  past  the  round  fort  and  long  barracks,  past  the 
light-house  and  beaches,  out  upon  the  tranquil 
ocean,  with  its  ominous  fog-banks  on  the  skirts  of 
the  horizon ;  out  upon  the  evening  sea,  with  the 
summer  air  fanning  our  faces,  and  a  large  white 
Acadian  moon,  faintly  denned  over-head. 

Picton  was  a  traveller ;  anybody  could  see  that 
he  was  a  traveller,  and  if  he  had  then  been  in  any 
part  of  the  habitable  globe,  in  Scotland  or  Tartary, 
Peru  or  Pennsylvania,  there  would  not  have  been 
the  least  doubt  about  the  fact  that  he  was  a  travel 
ler  travelling  on  his  travels.  He  looked  like  a  tra 
veller,  and  was  dressed  like  a  traveller.  He  had  a 
travelling-cap,  a  travelling-coat,  a  portable-desk,  a 
life-preserver,  a  water-proof  blanket,  a  travelling- 
shirt,  a  travelling  green  leather  satchel  strapped 
across  his  shoulder,  a  Minie-rifle,  several  trunks 
adorned  with  geographical  railway  labels  of  all 
colors  and  languages,  cork-soled  boots,  a  pocket- 
compass,  and  a  hand-organ.  As  for  the  hand-organ, 
that  was  an  accident  in  his  outfit.  The  hand-organ 
was  a  present  for  a  little  boy  on  the  other  side  of 
the  ocean ;  but  nevertheless,  it  played  its  part  very 
pleasantly  in  the  cabin  of  the  "  Balaklava."  And 
now  let  me  observe  here,  that  when  we  left  Ilali- 


72  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

fax  in  the  schooner,  I  was  scarcely  less  feeble  than 
when  I  left  New  York.  I  mention  it  to  show  how 
speedily  "  roughing  it "  on  the  salt  water  will  bring 
one's  stomach  to  its  senses. 

The  "  Balaklava  "  was  a  fore-and-aft  schooner  in 
ballast,  and  very  little  ballast  at  that ;  easily  han 
dled  ;  painted  black  outside,  and  pink  inside ;  as 
staunch  a  craft  as  ever  shook  sail ;  very  obedient  to 
the  rudder ;  of  some  seventy  or  eighty  tons  bur 
den;  clean  and  neat  everywhere,  except  in  the 
cabin.  As  for  her  commander,  he  was  a  fine  gen 
tleman  ;  true,  honest,  brave,  modest,  prudent  and 
courteous.  Sincerely  polite,  for  if  politeness  be 
only  kindness  mixed  with  refinement,  then  Captain 
Capstan  was  polite,  as  we  understand  it.  The  mate 
of  the  schooner  was  a  cannie  Scot;  by  name, 
Robert,  Fitzjames,  Buchanan,  Wallace,  Burns, 
Bruce ;  and  Bruce  was  as  jolly  a  first-mate  as  ever 
sailed  under  the  cross-bones  of  the  British  flag. 
The  crew  was  composed  of  four  Newfoundland 
sailor  men ;  and  the  cook,  whose  h'eighth  letter  of 
the  h'alphabet  smacked  somewhat  strongly  of 
Il'albion.  As  for  the  rest,  there  was  Mrs.  Captain 
Capstan,  Captain  and  Mrs.  Captain  Capstan's  baby ; 
Picton  and  myself.  It  is  cruel  to  speak  of  a  baby, 
except  in  terms  of  endearment  and  affection,  and 
therefore  I  could  not  but  condemn  Picton,  who 


WITH     THE    BLUE    NOSES.  73 

wculd  sometimes,  in  his  position  as  a  traveller, 
allude  to  baby  in  language  of  most  emphatic  cha 
racter.  The  fact  is,  Picton  swore  at  that  baby ! 
Baby  was  in  feeble  health  and  would  sometimes 
bewail  its  fate  as  if  the  cabin  of  the  "  Balaklava  " 
were  four  times  the  size  of  baby's  misfortunes. 
So  Picton  got  to  be  very  nervous  and  uncharitable, 
and  slept  on  deck  after  the  first  night. 

"How  do  you  like  this?"  said  Picton,  as  we 
leaned  over  the  side  of  the  "  Balaklava,"  looking 
down  at  the  millions  of  gelatinous  quarls  in  the 
clear  waters. 

"  Oh  !  very  much ;  this  lazy  life  will  soon  bring 
me  up ;  how  exhilarating  the  air  is — how  fresh  and 
free ! 

"  'A  life  on  the  ocean  wave, 
A  home  on  the  rolling  deep.'  " 

Just  then  the  schooner  gave  a  lurch  and  shook  her 
feathers  alow  and  aloft  by  way  of  chorus.  "  I 
like  this  kind  of  life  very  much ;  how  gracefully 
this  vessel  moves  ;  what  a  beautiful  union  of 
strength,  proportion,  lightness,  in  the  taper  masts, 
the  slender  ropes  and  stays,  the  full  spread  and 
sweep  of  her  sails  !  Then  how  expansive  the  view, 
the  calm  ocean  in  its  solitude,  the  receding  land, 

the  twinkling  lighthouse,  the  "  • 

"  Ever  been  sea-sick  ?"  said  Picton,  drily. 
4 


74  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

"  Not  often.  By  the  way,  my  appetite  is  im 
proving  ;  I  think  Cookey  is  getting  tea  ready,  by 
the  smoke  and  the  sinell." 

"Likely,"  replied  Picton;  "let  us  take  a  squint 
at  the  galley." 

To  the  galley  we  went,  where  we  saw  Cookey  in 
great  distress ;  for  the  wind  would  blow  in  at  the 
wrong  end  of  his  stove-pipe,  so  as  to  reverse  the 
draft,  and  his  stove  was  smoking  at  every  seam. 
Poor  Cookey's  eyes  were  full  of  tears. 

"  Why  don't  you  turn  the  elbow  of  the  pipe  the 
other  way  ?"  said  Picton. 

"  Hi  av  tried  that,"  said  Cookey,  "  but  the  hel- 
bow  is  so  'eavy  the  'ole  thing  comes  h'off." 

"  Then,  take  off  the  elbow,"  said  Picton. 

So  Cookey  did,  and  very  soon  tea  was  ready. 
Imagine  a  cabin,  not  much  larger  than  a  good-sized 
omnibus,  and  far^  less  steady  in  its  motion,  choked 
up  with  trunks,  and  a  table  about  the  size  of  a 
wash-stand  ;  imagine  two  stools  and  a  locker  to  bit 
on  ;  a  canvas  table-cloth  in  full  blotch ;  tliree 
chipped  yellow  mugs  by  way  of  cups ;  as  many 
plates,  but  of  great  variety  of  gap,  crack,  and  pat 
tern  ;  pewter  spoons ;  a  blacking-bottle  of  milk ; 
an  earthen  piggin  of  brown  sugar,  embroidered 
with  a  lively  gang  of  great,  fat,  black  pismires; 
hard  bread,  old  as  Nineveh ;  and  butter  of  a  most 


WITH    THE    BLUE     NOSES.  75 

forbidding  aspect.  Imagine  this  array  set  before 
an  invalid,  with  an  appetite  of  the  most  Miss  Nan- 
cyish  kind ! 

"  One  misses  the  comforts  here  at  sea,"  said  the 
captain's  lady,  a  pretty  young  woman,  with  a  sweet 
Milesian  accent. 

"Yes,  ma'am,"  said  I,  glancing  again  at  the 
banquet. 

"  I  don't  rightly  know,"  she  continued,  "  how  I 
forgot  the  rocking-chair ;"  and  she  gave  baby  an 
affectionate  squeeze. 

"  And  that,"  said  the  captain,  "  is  as  bad  as  me 
forgetting  the  potatoes." 

Pic  and  I  sat  down,  but  we  could  neither  eat  nor 
drink ;  we  were  very  soon  on  deck  again,  sucking 
away  dolefully  at  two  precious  cigars.  At  last  he 
broke  out : 

"  By  gad,  to  think  of  it !" 

"  "What  is  the  matter  ?"  said  I. 

"  Not  a  potato  on  board  the  '  Ealaklava !' J: 

So  we  pulled  away  dolefully  at  our  segars,  in 
solemn  silence. 

"  Picton,"  said  I,  "  did  you  ever  hear  *  Annie 
Laurie?'" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Picton,  "  about  as  many  times  as 
I  want  to  hear  it." 

"  Don't  be  impolite,  Picton,"  said  I ;  "it  is  not 


76  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

my  intention  to  sing  it  this  evening.  Indeed,  I 
never  heard  it  before  I  heard  it  in  Halifax.  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  make  one  of  a  very  pleasant 
company,  at  the  house  of  an  old  friend  in  the  city, 
and  I  must  say  that  song  touched  me,  both  the  song 
and  the  singing  of  it.  You  know  it  was  the  song  in 
the  Crimea  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Picton,  smoking  vigorously. 

"  I  asked  Major ,"  said  I,  "  if  c  Annie  Laurie' 

was  sung  by  the  soldiers  in  the  Crimea ;  and  he 
replied  '  they  did  not  sing  anything  else ;  they  sang 
it,'  said  he,  '  by  thousands  at  a  time.'  How  does 
it  go,  Picton  ?  Come  now ! " 

So  Picton  held  forth  under  the  moon,  and  sang 
"  Annie  Laurie  "  on  the  "  Balaklava."  And  long 
after  we  turned  in,  the  music  kept  singing  on — 

"  Her  voice  is  low  and  sweet, 

And  she's  all  the  world  to  me  ; 
And  for  bonnie  Annie  Laurie 
I'd  lay  me  down  and  dee." 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  77 


CHAPTER  IY. 

The  Voyage  of  the  "  Balaklava  '? — Something  of  a  Fog — A  Novel 
Sensation — Picton  bursts  out— "Nothing  to  do  " —Breakfast 
under  Way — A  Phantom  Boat — Mackerel — Gone,  Hook  and 
Line — The  Colonists— Sectionalism  and  Prejudices — Cod-fiph- 
ing  and  an  Unexpected  Banquet — Past  the  Old  French  Town— A 
Pretty  Respectable  Breeze — We  get  past  the  Rocks — Louis- 
burgh. 

"  PICTON!" 

"  Hallo  !"  replied  the  traveller,  sitting  up  on  his 
locker ;  "  what  is  the  matter  now  ?" 

"  Nothing,  only  it  is  morning ;  let  us  get  up,  I 
want  to  see  the  sun  rise  out  of  the  ocean." 

"  Pooh  !"  replied  Picton,  "  what  do  you  want  to 
be  bothering  with  the  sun  for  ?"  And  again  Picton 
rolled  himself  up  in  his  sheet-rubber  travelling- 
blanket,  and  stretched  his  long  body  out  on  the 
locker.  I  got  up,  or  rather  got  down,  from  my 
berth,  and  casting  a  bucket  over  the  schooner's 
side  soon  made  a  sea- water  toilet.  I  forgot  to 
mention  the  sleeping  arrangements  of  the  "  Balak 
lava."  There  were  two  lower  berths  on  one  sido 


78  AC  AD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  cabin,  either  of  which  was  large  enough  for  two 
persons ;  and  two  single  upper  berths  on  the  other 
side,  neither  of  which  was  large  enough  for  one 
person.  At  the  proper  hour  for  retiring,  the  cap 
tain's  lady  shut  the  cabin-door  to  keep  out  intru 
ders,  deliberately  arrayed  herself  in  dimity,  turned 
in  with  baby  in  one  of  the  large  berths,  and 
reopened  the  door.  There  she  lay,  wide  awake, 
with  her  bright  eyes  twinkling  within  the  folds  of 
her  night  cap,  unaffected,  chatty,  and  agreeable ; 
then  the  captain  divested  himself  of  boots  and  pea- 
jacket  and  turned  in  beside  his  lady  (the  mate 
^slept,  when  off  his  watch,  in  the  other  double 
berth).  Picton  rolled  himself  up  in  his  blanket 
and  stretched  out  on  his  locker ;  I  climbed  into  the 
narrow  coop,  over  the  salt  beef  and  hard  biscuit 
department ;  and  so  we  dozed  and  talked  until  sleep 
reigned  over  all.  In  the  morning  the  ceremonies 
were  reversed,  with  the  exception  of  the  Captain, 
who  was  up  first.  "  I  never  see  a  man  sleep  so 
little  as  the  captain,"  said  Bruce ;  "  about  two 
hoors,  an'  that's  aw." 

The  sun  was  already  risen  when  I  came  out  on 
the  deck  of  the  "  Balaklava ;"  but  where  was  the 
sun  ?  Indeed,  where  was  the  ocean,  or  anything  ? 
The  schooner  was  barely  making  steerage-way, 
with  a  light  head-wind,  over  a  small  patch  of  water, 


WITH     THE     BLUE     NOSES.  79 

not  much  larger  apparently  than  the  schooner  her 
self.  The  air  was  filled  with  a  luminous  haze  that 
appeared  to  be  penetrable  by  the  eye,  and  yet  was 
not ;  that  seemed  at  once  open  and  dense  ;  near  yet 
afar  off;  close  yet  diffuse ;  contracted  yet  bound 
less.  There  was  no  light  nor  shade,  no  outline,  dis 
tance,  aerial  perspective.  There  wras  no  east  and 
west,  nor  blushing  Aurora,  rising  from  old  'Titho- 
nus'  bed  ;  nor  blue  sky,  nor  green  sea,  nor  ship,  nor 
shore,  nor  color,  tint,  hue,  ray,  or  reflection.  There 
was  nothing  visible  except  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  a 
maze  of  dripping  rigging,  two  sailors  bristling  with 
drops,  and  the  captain  in  a  shiny  sou-wester.  The 
feeling  of  seclusion  and  security  was  complete, 
although  we  might  have  been  run  down  by  another 
vessel  at  any  moment;  the  air  was  deliciously 
bland,  invigorating,  and  pregnant  with  life;  to 
breathe  it  was  a  transport ;  you  felt  it  in  every  glo 
bule  of  blood,  in  every  pore  of  the  lungs.  I  could 
have  hugged  that  fog,  I  was  so  happy  ! 

Up  and  down  the  rolling  deck  I  marched,  and 
with  every  inspiration  of  the  moist  air,  felt  the  old, 
tiresome,  lingering  sickness  floating  away.  Then  I 
was  startled  with  a  new  sensation,  I  began  to  get 
hungry ! 

It  was  between  four  and  five  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  the  "  Balaklava  "  did  not  breakfast  until 


80  AC  ADI  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

eight.  Keader,  were  you  ever  hungry  at  sea? 
"Were  you  ever  on  deck,  upon  the  measureless 
ocean,  four  hours  earlier  than  the  ring  of  the  break 
fast-bell  ?  Were  you  ever  awake  on  the  briny  deep, 
in  advance,  when  the  cook  had  yet  two  hours  to 
sleep ;  when  the  stove  in  the  galley  was  cold,  and 
the  kindling-wood  unsplit ;  the  coffee  still  in  its 
tender,  green,  unroasted  innocence  ?  Were  you  ever 
upon  "the  blue,  the  fresh,  the  ever  free,"  under 
these  circumstances  ?  If  so,  I- need  not  say  to  you 
that  the  sentiment,  then  and  there  awakened,  is 
stronger  than  avarice,  pride,  ambition  or,  love. 

Presently  Picton  burst  out  like  a  flower  on  deck, 
in  a  mass  of  overcoats,  with  an  India-rubber  mack 
intosh  by  way  of  calyx.  These  were  his  night- 
clothes.  Picton  could  do  nothing  except  in  full 
costume ;  he  could  not  fish,  in  ever  so  small  a 
stream,  without  being  booted  to  the  hips;  nor 
shoot,  in  ever  so  good  a  cover,  without  being 
jacketed  above  the  hips.  He  shaved  himself  in 
front  of  a  silver-mounted  dressing-case,  wrote  his 
letters  on  a  portable  secretary,  drew  off  his  boots 
with  a  patent  boot-jack,  brewed  his  punch  with  a 
peripatetic  kettle,  and  in  fact  carried  a  little  London 
with  him  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  "  Well," 
said  Picton,  looking  around  at  the  fog  with  a 
low  and  expressive  whistle,  "  this  is  serene  !" 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  81 

Although  Picton  used  the  word  "  serene  "  ironi 
cally,  just  as  a  man  riding  in  an  omnibus  and  sud 
denly  discovering  that  he  was  destitute  of  the  need 
ful  sixpence  might  exclaim,  "  This  is  pleasant,"  yet 
the  phrase  was  not  out  of  place.  The  "  Balaklava  " 
was  gliding  lazily  over  the  water,  at  the  rate  of 
three  knots  an  hour,  sometimes  giving  a  little  lurch 
by  way  of  shaking  the  wet  out  of  her  invisible 
sails,  for  the  fog  obscured  all  her  upper  canvas,  and 
the  mind  and  body  easily  yielded  to  the  lullaby 
movement  of  the  vessel.  Talk  of  lotus-eating ;  of 
Castles  of  Indolence ;  of  the  dreamy  ether  inhaled 
from  amber-tubed  narghile ;  of  poppy  and  mandra- 
gora,  and  all  the  drowsy  syrups  of  the  world ;  of 
rain  upon  the  mid-night  roof ;  the  cooing  of  doves, 
the  hush  of  falling  snow,  the  murmur  of  brooks,  the 
long  summer  song  of  grasshoppers  in  the  field,  the 
tinkling  of  fountains,  and  everything  else  that  can 
soothe,  lull,  or  tranquillize ;  and  what  are  these  to 
the  serenity  of  this  sail-swinging,  ripple-stirring, 
gently-creaking  craft,  in  her  veil  of  luminous 
vapor?  "  How  delightful  this  is  !"  said  I. 

The  traveller  eyed  me  with  surprise,  but  at  last 
comprehending  the  idea,  admitted,  that  with  the 
exception  of  the  fog  and  the  calm,  the  scarcity  of 
news,  the  damp  state  of  the  decks,  and  the  want  of 
the  morning  papers,  it  was  very  charming  indeed 

4* 


82  ACADIA,     OR    A    MO  NTH 

Then  the  traveller  got  a  little  restive,  and  began  to 
peer  closely  into  the  fog,  and  look  aloft  to  see  if  he 
could  make  out  the  stay-sails,  and  then  he  entered 
into  a  long  confidential  talk  with  the  captain,  in 
relation  to  the  chances  of  "  getting  on,"  of  a  fresh 
breeze  springing  up,  and  the  fog  lifting;  whether 
we  should  make  Louisburgh  by  to-morrow  night, 
and  if  not,  when ;  with  various  other  salt-water 
speculations  and  problems.  Then  Picton  climbed 
up  on  the  patent-windlass  to  get  a  full  view  of  the 
fog  at  the  end  cf  the  bow-sprit,  and  took  another 
survey  of  the  buried  stay-sails,  and  the  flying-jib. 
Then  he  and  the  Newfoundland  sailor  on  the  look 
out,  had  a  long  consultation  of  great  gravity  and 
importance;  and  finally  he  turned  around  and  came 
up  to  the  place  where  I  was  standing,  and  broke 
out:  "I  say,  what  the  devil  are  we  to  do  with  our 
selves  this  morning  ?" 

"  What  are  we  to  do  3"  That  eternal  question. 
It  instantly  seemed  to  double  the  thickness  of  the 
fog,  to  arrest  the  slow  movement  of  the  vessel.  Pic- 
ton  had  nothing  to  do  for  a  fortnight,  and  I  had  left 
home  with  the  sole  object  of  going  somewhere  where 
soul  and  body  could  rest.  "Nothing  to  do,"  was 
precisely  the  one  thing  needful.  "  Nothing  to  do," 
is  exquisite  happiness,  for  real  happiness  is  but  a 
negation.  "  Nothing  to  do,"  is  repose  for  the  body, 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  S3 

respite  for  the  mind.  It  is  an  ideal  hammock 
swinging  in  drowsy  tropical  groves,  apart  from  the 
roar  of  the  busy,  relentless  world ;  away  from  the 
strife  of  faction,  the  toils  of  business,  the  restless 
stretch  of  ambition,  wealth's  tinsel  pride,  poverty's 
galling  harness.  "  Nothing  to  do,"  is  the  phantom 
of  young  Imagination,  the  evanescent  hope  that  pro 
mises  to  crown 

"  A  youth  of  labor  with  an  age  of  ease." 

"  Nothing  to  do,"  was  the  charm  that  lured  us  on 
board  the  "Balaklava,"  and  now  "nothing  to  do," 
was  with  us  like  the  Bottle-Imp,  an  incubus,  still 
crying  out :  "  You  may  yet  exchange  me  for  a 
smaller  coin,  if  such  there  be  !"  "  Nothing  to  do,"  is 
an  imposture.  Something  to  do  is  the  very  life  of 
life,  the  beginning  and  end  of  being.  "Picton," 
said  I,  "  one  thing  we  must  do,  at  least,  this  morn- 
ing." 

"What  is  that?"  replied  the  traveller,  eagerly 
opening  his  mackintosh,  and  drawing  it  off  so  as  to 
be  ready  to  do  it. 

"  Taking  into  consideration  the  slow  and  sleepy 
nature  of  this  climate,  the  thickness  of  the  fog,  the 
faint,  thin  air  that  impels  the  vessel,  the  early  time 
of  day,  and  the  regulations  of  the  '  Balaklava,'  it 


84:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

seems  to  me  we  shall  have  to  be  steadily  occupied, 
for  at  least  three  hours,  in  waiting  for  breakfast." 

Then  Picton  got  hungry  !  He  was  a  large,  stout 
man,  wrapped  up  by  a  multitude  of  garments  to  the 
thickness  of  a  polar  bear,  and  when  he  got  hungry, 
it  was  on  a  scale  of  corresponding  dimensions.  Firbt 
he  alluded  to  the  fact  that  we  had  gone  supperless 
to  bed  the  night  before  ;  then  he  buttoned  up  his 
mackintosh,  had  a  brief  interview  with  the  captain, 
shouted  down  the  gang-way  for  the  cook,  and  finally 
disappeared  in  the  forecastle.  Then  he  came  up 
again  with  that  officer,  rummaged  in  the  galley  for 
the  ship's  hatchet,  and  split  up  all  the  kindling- 
wood  on  deck ;  then  he  shed  his  petals  (mackintosh 
and  over-coats)  and  instructed  Cookey  in  the  mys 
tery  of  building  a  fire.  Then  he  emerged  from  the 
intolerable  smoke  he  had  raised  in  the  galley,  and 
devoted  himself  to  the  stove-pipe  outside,  Cookey, 
meanwhile,  within  the  caboose,  getting  the  benefit 
of  all  the  experiments. 

At  last  a  faint  smell  o'f  coffee  issued  forth  from 
the  caboose,  a  little  Arabia  breathed  through  the 
humid  atmosphere,  and  a  sound,  as  if  Cookey  were 
stirring  the  berries  in  a  pan,  was  heard  in  the  midst 
of  the  smoke.  Meanwhile  Picton  descends  in  the 
hold  with  a  bucket  of  salt-water  to  enjoy  the  luxury 
of  a  bath,  and  reappears  in  full  toilet  just  as  Cookey 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  85 

is  grinding  the  berries,  burnt  and  green,  with  a 
hand-mill  between  his  knees.  The  pan  by  this  time 
is  put  to  a  new  use ;  it  is  now  lined  with  bacon  in 
full  frizzle  ;  presently  it  will  be  turned  to  account 
as  a  bake-pan,  for  pearl-ash  cakes  of  chrome-yellow 
complexion :  everything  must  take  its  turn ;  the 
pan  is  the  actor  of  all  work ;  it  accepts  coffee,  cakes, 
pork,  fish,  pudding,  besides  being  general  dish 
washer  and  soup- warmer,  as  we  found  out  before 
long. 

During  the  preparation  of  these  successive  courses, 
Picton  and  I  sat  on  deck  in  hungry  silence.  "Now 
and  then  an  anxious  glance  at  the  galley,  or  a  tor 
menting  whiff  of  the  savory  viands,  would  give  new 
life  to  the  demon  that  raged  within  us.  I  believe  if 
Cookey  had  accidentally  upset  the  coffee  tea-kettle, 
and  put  out  the  fire,  his  sanctuary  would  have  been 
sacked  instantly.  Eight  o'clock  came,  and  yet  we 
had  not  broken  bread.  We  walked  up  and  down 
the  deck  to  relieve  our  appetites.  At  last  we  saw 
the  three  cracked  mugs,  our  tea-cups,  which  had 
been  our  ale-glasses  of  the  night  before,  brought  up 
for  a  rinse,  and  then  we  knew  that  breakfast  was 
not  far  off.  The  cloth  was  spread,  the  saffron  cakes, 
ship's  butter,  yellow  mugs,  coffee,  pork,  and  pis 
mires  temptingly  arrayed.  We  did  not  wait  to 
hear  the  cook  ring  the  bell.  We  watched  him  a? 


S6  A  C  A  D  I  A ,     OR    A    MONTH 

he  came  up  with  it  in  his  hand,  and  squeezed  past 
him  before  he  shook  out  a  single  vibration. 

Then  we  made  a  MEAL  ! 

Breakfast  being  over,  the  fog  lightened  a  little. 
Our  tiny  horizon  widened  its  boundaries  a  few  hun 
dred  feet,  or  so ;  we  could  see  once  more  the  top 
mast  of  the  schooner.  So  we  lazily  swung  along, 
with  nothing  to  do  again.  Sometimes  a  distant  fog- 
bell ;  sometimes  a  distant  sound  across  the  face  of 
the  deep,  like  the  falling  of  cataract  waters. 

"  What  is  that  sound,  Bruce  ?" 

"  It's  the  surf  breakin'  on  the  rocks,"  responds 
Bruce ;  "  I  hae  been  listenen  to  it  for  hoors." 

"  Are  we  then  so  near  shore  ?" 

"  About  three  miles  aff,"  replies  the  mate. 

Presently  we  heard  the  sound  of  human  voices ; 
a  laugh ;  the  stroke  of  oars  in  the  row-locks,  plainly 
distinguishable  in  the  mysterious  vapor.  The  cap 
tain  hailed  :  "  Hallo !"  "  Halloo !"  echoes  in  answer. 
The  strokes  of  the  oars  are  louder  and  quicker ; 
they  are  approaching  us,  but  where?  "Halloo!" 
comes  again  out  of  the  mist.  And  again  the  cap 
tain  shouts  in  reply.  Then  a  white  phantom  boat, 
thin,  vapory,  unsubstantial,  now  seen,  now  lost 
again,  appears  on  the  skirts  of  our  horizon. 

"  Where  are  we  ?"  asks  the  captain. 

"  Off  St.  Esprit,"  answer  the  boatmen. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  87 

"  What  are  you  after  ?"  asks  the  captain. 

"  Looking  for  our  nets,"  is  the  reply ;  and  once 
more  boat  and  boatmen  disappear  in  the  luminous 
vapor.  These  are  mackerel  fishermen /  their  nets 
are  adrift  from  their  stone-anchors  :  the  fish  are 
used  for  bait  in  the  cod-fisheries,  as  well  as  for  salt 
ing  down.  If  we  could  but  come  across  the  nets, 
what  a  rare  treat  we  might  have  at  dinner  ! 

Lazily  on  we  glide — nothing  to  do.  Picton  is  read 
ing  a  stunning  book ;  the  captain,  his  lady,  the  baby, 
and  I  making  a  small  family  circle  around  the 
wheel ;  the  mate  is  on  the  look-out  over  the  bows  ; 
all  at  once,  he  shouts  out:  "There  they  are}  the 
nets  ! "  Down  goes  Picton's  book  on  the  deck ; 
Bruce  catches  up  a  rope  and  fastens  it  to  a  large 
iron  hook  ;  the  sailors  run  to  the  side  of  the  vessel ; 
captain  releases  his  forefinger .  from  baby's  hand, 
and  catches  the  wheel ;  all  is  excitement  in  a  mo 
ment.  "  Starboard  !  "  shouts  the  mate,  as  the  nets 
come  sweeping  on,  directly  in  front  of  the  cut 
water.  The  schooner  obeys  the  wheel,  sheers  off, 
and  now,  as  the  floats  come  along  sidewrise,  Bruce 
has  dropped  his  hook  in  the  mesh — it  taJces  hold  ! 
and  the  heavy  mass  is  partially  raised  up  in  the 
water.  "Thousands  of  them,"  says  Picton;  sure 
enough,  the  whole  net  is  alive  with  mackerel, 
splashing,  quivering,  glistening.  "  Catch  hold  here, 


88  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

I  canna  hold  them ;  O  the  beauties  ! "  says  the 
mate.  Some  grasp  at  the  rope,  others  look  around 
for  another  hook.  "  Hauld  'em  !  hauld  'em  ! " 
shouts  Bruce  ;  but  the  weighty  piscatorial  mass  is 
too  much  for  us,  it  will  drag  us  desperately  along 
the  deck  to  the  stern  of  the  vessel.  The  schooner 
is  going  slowly,  but  still  she  is  going.  Another 
hook  is  rigged  and  thrown  at  the  struggling  mesh  ; 
but  it  breaks  loose,  the  mackerel  are  dragging 
behind  the  rudder  ;  we  are  at  our  rope's  end.  At 
last,  rope,  hook,  and  nets  are  abandoned,  and  again 
we  have  nothing;  to  do. 

O 

High  noon,  and  a  red  spot  visible  over-head  ;  the 
captain  brings  out  his  sextant  to  take  an  observa 
tion.  This  proceeding  we  viewed  with  no  little 
interest,  and,  for  the  humor  of  the  thing,  I  borrowed 
the  sextant  of  the  captain  and  took  a  satirical  view 
of  a  great  luminary  in  obscurity.  As  I  had  the 
instrument  upside  down,  the  sailors  were  in  convul 
sions  of  laughter;  but  why  should  we  not  make 
everybody  happy  when  we  have  it  in  our  power  ? 

High  noon,  and  again  hunger  overtook  us.  Pic- 
ton,  by  this  time,  had  brought  out  the  cans  of  pre 
served  meats,  the  curried  tin  chicken,  the  portable 
soup,  the  ale  and  pickles.  The  cook  was  put  upon 
duty ;  pot  and  pan  were  scoured  for  more  delicate 
viands ;  Picton  was  chef  de  cuisine ;  we  had  a 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  89 

magnificent  banquet  that  day  on  the  "  Balak- 
lava." 

To  give  a  zest  to  the  entertainment,  the  captain's 
lady  dined  with  us ;  the  mate  kindly  undertaking 
the  charge  of  the  baby. 

When  we  came  on  deck,  after  a  repast  that 
would  have  been  perfect  but  for  the  absence  of 
potatoes,  Bruce  was  marching  up  and  down,  dang 
ling  the  baby  in  a  way  that  made  it  appear  all  legs ; 
"  I  doan't  see,"  said  he,  "  hoo  a  wummun  can  lug 
a  baby  all  day  aboot  in  her  airms !  I  hae  only 
carried  this  one  half  an  'our,  and  boath  airms  is 
sore.  But  I  suppose  it's  naturely,  it's  natnrely — 
everything  to  its  nature." 

The  dinner  having  been  a  success,  Picton  was  in 
great  spirits  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  The  fog 
spread  its  munificent  halo  around  us,  and  before 
night-fall  broke  into  myriads  of  white  rainbows — 
sea-dogs  the  sailors  call  them — and  finally  lifted  so 
high  that  we  could  see  the  spectral  moon  shining 
through  the  thin  rack.  Once  more  we  sang  "Annie 
Laurie ;"  the  traveller  brought  out  his  travelling 
blanket  for  a  dewy  slumber  on  deck  ;  the  lady  of 
of  the  "  Balaklava "  put  on  her  night-cap  and  re 
tired  with  baby  to  the  double  berth :  Bruce  took 
the  helm.  As  I  was  passing  the  light  in  the  bin 
nacle,  I  looked  in  at  the  compass  for  a  moipexit. 


90  A  f !  A  D  I  A  ,     0  R    A    M  0  N  T  II 

"  She's  nailed  there,"  said  the  old  mate.  Nailed 
there,  true  to  her  course,  as  steadfast  to  the  guiding, 
rudder  as  truth  is  to  religion.  We  were  but  a  few 
miles  from  a  dangerous  coast,  in  a  vessel  of  tlio 
frailest  kind,  but  she  was  "  nailed  there,"  obedient 
to  man's  intelligence,  and  that  was  security  and 
safety.  What  a  text  to  say  one's  prayers  upon  ! 

"  Picton,"  said  I,  the  next  morning,  after  the 
schooner-breakfast,  "  it  seems  to  me  the  strangest 
thing  that  Mrs.  Capstan  should  have  the  pure  Irish 
pronunciation  and  the  mate  the  thorough  Scotch 
brogue,  although  both  wrere  born  in  Newfoundland, 
and  of  Newfoundland  parents.  I  must  confess  to 
no  small  amount  of  surprise  at  the  complete  isola 
tion  of  the  people  of  these  colonies ;  the  divisions 
among  them ;  the  separate  pursuits,  prejudices,  lan 
guages  ;  they  seem  to  have  nothing  in  common  ;  no 
aggregation  of  interests ;  it  is  existence  without  na 
tionality  ;  sectionalism  without  emulation ;  a  mere 
exotic  life  with  not  a  fibre  rooted  firmly  in  the  soil. 
The  colonists  are  English,  Irish,  Scotch,  French, 
for  generation  after  generation.  Why  is  this,  O 
Picton  ?  Why  is  it  that  the  captain's  lady  has 
high  cheek-bones,  and  speaks  the  pure  Hibernise? 
why  is  the  only  railroad  in  the  colony  but  nine  and 
three-quarter  miles  long,  and  the  great  Shubenaciulie 
Canal  yet  unfinished,  although  it  was  begun  in  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  91 

year  1826 ;  a  canal  fifty-three  mortal  miles  in  length, 
already  engineered  and  laid  out  by  nature  in  a 
chain  of  lakes,  most  conveniently  arranged,  with  the 
foot  of  each  little  lake  at  the  head  of  the  ncyct  one- 
like  'orient  pearls  at  random  strung' — requiring 
but  a  few  locks  to  be  complete :  the  head  of  the 
first  lake  lying  only  twelve  hundred  and  ten  yards 
from  Halifax  harbor,  and  the  Shubenacadie  Eiver 
itself  at  the  other  end,  emptying  in  the  place  of  des 
tination,  namely,  the  Basin  of  Minas ;  a  work  that, 
if  completed,  would  cut  off  more  than  three  hun 
dred  miles  of  outside  voyaging  around  a  stormy, 
foggy,  dangerous  coast ;  a  work  that  was  estimated 
to  cost  but  seventy-five  thousand  pounds,  and  for 
which  fifteen  thousand  pounds  had  already  been 
subscribed  by  the  government ;  a  work  that  would 
be  the  saving  of  so  many  vessels,  crews,  and  cargoes 
of  so  much  value  ;  a  work  that  would  traverse  one 
of  the  most  fertile  countries  in  America ;  a  work 
that  would  bring  the  inland  produce  within  a  few 
hours  of  the  sea-board ;  a  work  so  necessary,  so  ob 
vious,  so  easily  completed,  that  no  Yankee  could 
see  it  undone,  if  it  were  within  the  limits  of  his 
county,  and  have  one  single  night's  rest  until  the 
waters  were  leaping  from  lock  to  lock,  from  lake  to 
lake  in  one  continuous  flood  of  prosperity  from 


92  A  C  A  D  I  A  ,      OR     A     MO  NTH 

Minas  to  Chebucto  ?  Why  is  this,  O  traveller  of  the 
<  Balaklava  ?' " 

"The  reason  of  it  all,"  replied  Picton,  with 
great  equanimity  of  manner,  "  is  entirely  owing  to 
the  stupidity  of  the  people  here ;  the  British  gov 
ernment  is  the  best  government,  sir,  in  the  world  ; 
it  fosters,  protects,  and  supports  the  colonies,  with  a 
sort  of  parental  care,  sir  ;  the  colonies,  sir,  afford  no 
recompense  to  the  British  government  for  its  care  and 
protection,  sir ;  each  colony  is  only  a  bill  of  expense, 
sir,  to  the  mother  country,  and  if,  .with  all  these  ad 
vantages,  the  people  of  these  colonies  will  persist, 
sir,  in  being  behind  the  age,  sir,  what  can  we  do  to 
prevent  it,  I  would  like  to  know,  sir  ?" 

"  It  does  seem  to  me,  Picton,  this  fostering,  pro 
tecting,  and  paying  the  governmental  expenses  of 
the  colonies,  is  very  like  pampering  and  amusing 
a  child  with  sweet-meats  and  nick-nacks,  and  at  the 
same  time  keeping  it  in  leading-strings.  It  is  very 
certain  that  these  colonists  would  not  be  the  same 
people  if  their  ancestors  had  been  transplanted,  a 
century  or  so  ago,  to  our  side  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  ; 
no,  not  even  if  they  had  pitched  their  tents  at  the 
'jumping-off  place,'  as  it  is  called — Eastport,  for 
even  there  they  would  have  produced  a  crop  of 
pure  Yankees,  although  grown  from  divers  nations, 
religions,  and  tongues." 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  93 

Here  Picton  turned  up  his  lip,  and  smiled  out  of 
a  little  battery  of  sarcasm :  "  And  you  think,"  said 
he,  after  a  pause,  "  that  these  colonists  would  no 
longer  revel  in  those  little  prejudices  and  sectional 
isms  so  dear  to  every  American  heart,  if  they  were 
transplanted  to  your  own  favored  coasts?  Why, 
sir,  there  is  more  sectionalism  in  the  country  you 
would  transport  these  people  to,  than  in  any  one 
nation  I  ever  heard  of ;  every  one  of  your  States  is 
a  petty  principality ;  it  has  its  own  separate  inter 
ests  ;  its  own  bigoted  boundaries ;  its  conventional 
isms  ;  its  pet  laws  ;  and  as  for  its  prejudices,  I  will 
just  ask  you,  as  a  candid  man,  not  as  a  Yankee,  but 
as  a  traveller  like  myself,  a  cosmopolite,  if  you 
please,  what  you  think  of  the  two  great  eternal 
States  of  Massachusetts  and  South  Carolina,  and 
whether  prejudices  and  sectionalisms  are  to  be 
fairly  charged  upon  these  colonies,  and  upon  them 
only?" 

Picton,  I  will  be  frank  with  you.  The  States 
you  name  are  looked  upon  as  the  great  game-cocks 
of  the  Union,  and  we  give  them  a  tolerably  large 
arena  to  fight  their  battles  in.  Either  champion 
has  flapped  its  wings  and  crowed  its  loudest,  and 
drawn  in  its  local  backers,  but  the  great  States  of 
my  country  are  not  these  two.  I  feel  at  this  mo 
ment  an  almost  irrepressible  desire  to  instance  a 


04:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

single  one  as  an  example  ;  but  insomuch  as  nobody 
has  ever  flapped  wing  or  crowed  because  of  it,  I 
will  not  be  the  first  to  break  the  silence.  This 
much  I  will  say,  there  are  some  States,  and  those 
the  very  greatest  in  the  Union,  that  neither  claim 
to  be,  nor  make  a  merit  of  being  provincial" 

"  But,  even  in  your  State,  you  have  your  stately 
prejudices,"  said  Picton,  with  a  marked  emphasis 
upon  the  "  stately." 

"No,  sir,  we  have  no  stately  prejudices,  at  least 
among  those  entitled  to  have  them,  the  native-born 
citizens ;  nor  do  I  believe  such  prejudices  exist  in 
many  of  the  States  with  us  at  home,  sir." 

"  But  as  you  admit  there  is  a  sectional  barrier  be 
tween  your  people,"  said  Picton,  "  I  do  not  see  why 
our  form  of  government  is  not  as  wise  as  your  form 
of  government." 

"  The  difference,  Picton,  is  simply  this :  your  go 
vernment  is  foreign,  and  almost  unchangeable ;  ours 
is  local,  and  mutable  as  the  flux  and  reflux  of  the 
tide.  As  a  consequence,  sectionalism  is  active  with 
us,  and  apathetic  with  you.  Your  colonists  have 
nothing  to  care  for,  and  we  have  everything  to  care 
for." 

"Then,"  said  Picton,  "we  can  sleep  while  you 
struggle  ?" 

"  Yes,  Picton,  that  is  the  question — 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  05 

'  Whether  'tis  best  to  roam  or  rest, 
The  land's  lap,  or  the  water's  breast  ?' 

We  think  it  is  best  to  choose  the  active  instead  of  the 
stagnant ;  if  a  man  -cannot  take  part  in  the  great 
mechanism  of  humanity,  better  to  die  than  to  sleep. 
And  Picton,  so  far  as  this  is  concerned,  so  far  as  the 
general  interests  of  humanity  are  concerned,  your 
colonists  are  only  dead  men,  while  our  "stately" 
men  are  individually  responsible,  not  only  to  their 
own  kind,  but  to  all  human  kind,  and  herein  each 
form  of  government  tells  its  own  story." 

"  I  think  you  are  rather  severe  upon  poor  Nova 
Scotia  this  morning,"  said  Picton,  drily. 

"  You  mistake  me,  Picton ;  I  do  not  intend  to 
cast  any  reflections  upon  the  people ;  I  am  only  con 
trasting  the  effects  produced  by  two  different  forms 
of  government  upon  neighboring  bodies  of  men  that 
would  have  been  alike  had  either  a  republican  or 
monarchical' rule  obtained  over  both." 

"  Likely,"  said  Picton,  sententiously. 

Meantime  the  schooner  was  lazily  holding  her 
course  through  the  fog,  which  was  now  dense  as 
ever.  What  an  odd  little  bit  of  ocean  this  is  to  be 
on !  "  The  sea,  the  sea,  the  open  sea,"  all  your  own, 
with  a  diameter  of  perhaps  forty  yards.  Picton, 
who  is  full  of  activity,  begins  to  unroll  the  log  line ; 
the  captain  turns  the  glass,  away  goes  the  log. 


96  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

"  Stop,"  "  not  three  knots !"  and  then  comes  the 
question  again  :  "  "What  shall  we  do  ? — we  are  get 
ting  becalmed !" 

"  By  Jove  !"  said  Picton,  slapping  his  thigh,  "  I 
have  it — cod-fish  /" 

There  are  plenty  of  hooks  on  board  the  "  Balak- 
lava,"  and  unfortunately  only  one  cod-line ;  but 
what  with  the  deep-sea  lead-and-line,  and  a  roll  of 
blue  cord,  with  a  spike  for  a  sinker,  and  the  hooks, 
we  are  soon  in  the  midst  of  excitement.  Now  we 
almost  pray  for  a  calm ;  the  schooner  will  heave 
ahead,  and  leave  the  lines  astern  ;  but  nevertheless, 
up  come  the  fine  fish,  and  plenty  of  them,  too  ;  the 
deck  is  all  flop  and  glister  with  cod,  haddock,  pol 
lock  ;  and  Cookey,  with  a  short  knife,  is  at  work 
with  the  largest,  preparing  them  for  the  banquet, 
according  to  the  code  Newfoundland.  Certainly 
the  art  of  "  cooking  a  cod-fish  "  is  not  quite  under 
stood,  except  in  this  part  of  the  world.  The  white 
flakes  do  not  exhibit  the  true  conchoidal  fracture  in 
such  perfection  elsewhere ;  nor  break  off  in  such 
delicious  morsels,  edged  with  delicate  brown.  "  An 
other  bottle  of  ale,  please,  and  a  granitic  biscuit,  and 
a  pickle,  by  way  of  dessert." 

Lazily  along  swings  the  "Balaklava."  Picton 
brings  up  his  travelling  blanket,  and  we  stretch  out 
upon  it  on  deck,  basking  in  the  warm,  humid  light, 


WITH     THE    BLUE     NOSES.  97 

and  leisurely  puffing  away  at  our  segars,  for  we 
have  nothing  else  to  do.  Towards  evening  it  grows 
colder,  very  much  colder ;  over-coats  are  in  requi 
sition  ;  the  captain  says  we  are  nearing  some  ice 
bergs  ;  the  fog  folds  itself  up  and  hangs  above 
us  in  strips  of  cloud,  or  rolls  away  in  volu 
minous  masses  to  the  edges  of  the  horizon.  The 
stars  peep  out  between  the  strips  overhead,  the 
moon  sends  forth  her  silver  vapors  and  finally 
emerges  from  the  "  crudded  clouds  ;"  the  wake  of 
the  schooner  is  one  long  phosphoric  trail  of  flame ; 
the  masts  are  creaking,  sails  stretching,  the  waters 
pouring  against  the  bows  ;  out  on  the  deep,  white 
crests  lift  and  break,  the  winds,  are  loosened,  and 
now  good  speed  to  the  "Balaklava."  Meanwhile, 
the  hitherto  listless  Newfoundland  men  are  now 
wide  awake,  and  busy  ;  the  man  at  the  wheel  is  on 
the  alert ;  the  captain  is  looking  at  his  charts ;  Pic- 
ton  and  I  walking  the  deck  briskly,  but  unsteadily, 
to  keep  off  the  cold ;  Mrs.  Capstan  has  turned  in 
with  the  baby.  Blacker  and  larger  waves  are 
rising,  with  whiter  crests ;  on  and  on  goes  the 
schooner  with  dip  and  rise — tossing  her  yards  as  a 
stag  tosses  his  antlers.  On  and  on  goes  the  brave 
"  Balaklava,"  the  captain  at  the  bows  on  the  look- 
cut  ;  the  sky  is  mottled  with  clouds,  but  fortunately 
there  is  no  fog ;  nine,  ten  o'clock,  and  at  last  a  li 


98  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

begins  to  lift  in  the  distance.  •'  Is  it  Louisburgh 
light,  captain  ?"  "  I  don't  make  it  out  yet,- '  replies 
Captain  Capstan,  "  but  I  think  it  is  not."  After  a 
pause,  he  adds  :  "  Now  I  see  what  it  is ;  it  is  Scat- 
tarie  light— we  have  passed  Louisburgh." 

This  was  not  pleasant;  we  had  undertaken  the 
voyage  for  the  sake  of  visiting  the  old  French  town. 
To  be  sure,  it  was  a  great  disappointment.  But 
then  we  were  rapidly  nearing  Scattarie  light ;  and 
after  we  doubled  the  island,  the  wind  would  be 
right  astern  of  us,  and  by  breakfast  time  we  would 
be  in  the  harbor  of  Sydney. 

"  Captain,"  said  we,  after  a  brief  consultation, 
"  we  will  leave  the  matter  entirely  to  you  ;  although 
we  had  hoped  to  see  Louisburgh  this  night,  yet 
we  can  visit  it  overland  to-morrow ;  and  as  the  wind 
is  so  favorable  for  you,  why,  crack  on  to  Sydney,  if 
you  like." 

With  that  we  resumed  our  walk  to  keep  up  the 
circulation. 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Picton,  "the  captain  should 
have  passed  the  light  without  seeing  it." 

"  Ever  since  we  left  Richmond,"  said  the  man  at 
the  wheel,  "  his  eyes  has  been  weak,  so  as  he 
couldn't  see  as  good  as  common." 

"  Did  you  see  the  light  ?"  we  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  can  see  it  now,  right  astern  of  us." 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  99 

We  looked,  and  at  last  made  it  out :  a  faint,  nebu 
lous  star,  upon  the  very  edge  of  the  gloomy  waters. 

"  There  is  the  light,  captain." 

"  Where  ?" 

"  Eight  astern." 

The  captain  walked  aft  to  the  steersman  and 
peered  anxiously  in  the  distance.  Then  he  came 
forward  again,  and  shouted  down  the  forecastle : 
"  Hallo,  hallo,  turn  out  there  !  all  hands  on  deck ! 
turn  out,  men !  turn  out !" 

"  What  now,  captain  ?" 

"  Nothing,"  said  he,  "  only  I  am  going  to  about- 
ship." 

And  sure  enough,  the  little  schooner  came  up  to 
the  wind  ;  the  men  hauled  away  at  the  sheets,  the 
sails  fluttered — filled  upon  the  new  tack,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  our  bows  were  pointed  for  Louisburgh. 

The  "Balaklava"  had  barely  broadened  out  her 
sails  to  the  fair  wind,  after  she  had  been  put  about, 
when  we  were  conscious  of  an  increased  straining 
and  chirping  of  the  masts  and  sails,  an  uneasy,  labo 
rious  motion  of  the  vessel ;  of  blacker  and  larger 
waves,  of  whiter  and  higher  crests,  that  sometimes 
broke  over  the  bows,  even,  and  made  the  deck  wet 
and  slippery.  The  moon  was  now  rising  high,  but 
the  clouds  were  rapidly  thickening,  and  her  majesty 
seemed  to  be  reeling  from  side  to  side,  as  we  bore 


100  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

on,  with  plunge  and  shudder,  for  the  light  ahead  of 
us.  Bruce  had  taken  the  wheel ;  all  hands  were  on 
deck,  and  all  busy,  hauling  upon  this  rope  or  that, 
taking  in  the  stay-sails  and  flying-jib,  as  the  captain 
shouted  out  from  time  to  time  ;  and  looking  ahead, 
with  no  little  appearance  of  anxiety. 

"Ah!  she's  a  pretty  creature,"  said  the  mate; 
"  look  there,"  nodding  with  his  head  at  the  com 
pass,  "  did'na  I  tell  you  ?  She's  nailed  there." 
Then  he  broke  out  again :  "  Ay,  she's  a  flyin'  noo  ; 
see  hoo  she's  raisirf  the  light  /" 

It  was,  indeed,  surprising  to  see  the  great  beacon 
rising  higher  and  higher  out  of  the  water. 

"  Is  it  a  good  harbor,  Bruce  ?" 

"  When  ye  get  in"  answered  the  mate ;  " but  it's 
narrar,  it's  narrar  ;  ye  can  pitch  a  biscuit  ashore  as 
ye  go  through  ;  and  inside  o't  is  the  '  ISTag's  Head,' 
a  sunken  bit  o'  rock,  with  about  five  feet  water  ;  if 
ye  miss  that,  ye're  aw  right !"  "We  were  now  ra 
pidly  approaching  the  beacon,  and  could  fairly 
see  the  rocks  and  beach  in  the  track  of  its  light. 
On  the  other  side  there  were  great  masses  of  savage 
surf,  whirling  high  up  in  the  night,  the  indications 
of  the  three  islands  on  the  west  of  the  harbor.  The 
captain  had  climbed  up  in  the  rigging  to  keep  a 
good  look-out  ahead ;  the  light  of  the  beacon  broad 
ened  on  the  deck  ;  we  were  within  the  very  jaws  of 


WITH     THE     BLUE     NOSES.  101 

the  crags  and  surf;  the  wild  ocean  beating  against 
the  doors  of  the  harbor;  the  churning,  whirling, 
whistling  danger  on  either  side,  lighted  up  by  the 
glare  of  the  beacon !  past  we  go,  and,  with  a  sweep, 
the  "Balaklava"  evades  the  "Nag's  Head,"  and 
rounding  too,  drops  sail  and  anchor  beside  the 
walls  of  Louisburgh. 

Then  the  thick  fog,  which  had  been  pursuing  us, 
came,  and  enveloped  all  in  obscurity. 

"  It  is  lucky,"  said  Captain  Capstan,  "  that  it 
didn't  come  ten  minutes  sooner." 


102  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTEE    Y. 

Louisburgh — The  Great  French  Fortress — Incidents  of  the  Old 
French  War— Relics  of  the  Siege — Description  of  the  Town — The 
two  Expeditions — A  Yankee  ruse  de  guerre — The  Rev.  Samuel 
Moody's  Grace— Wolfe's  Landing— The  Fisherman's  Hutch— The 
Lost  Coaster — The  Fisheries — Picton  tries  his  hand  at  a  fish- 
pugh. 

NEARLY  a  century  has  elapsed  since  the  fall  of 
Louisburgh.  The  great  American  fortress  of  Louis 
XY.  surrendered  to  Amherst,  "Wolfe,  and  Boscawen 
in  1758.  A  broken  sea-wall  of  cut  stone ;  a  vast 
amphitheatre,  inclosed  within  a  succession  of  green 
mounds ;  a  glacis ;  and  some  miles  of  surrounding 
ditch,  yet  remain — the  relics  of  a  structure  for 
which  the  treasury  of  France  paid  Thirty  Millions 
of  Livres ! 

We  enter  where  had  been  the  great  gate,  and 
walk  up  what  had  been  the  great  avenue.  The  vi 
sion  follows  undulating  billows  of  green  turf  that 
indicate  the  buried  walls  of  a  once  powerful  mili 
tary  town.  Fifteen  thousand  people  were  gathered 
in  and  about  these  walls  ;  six  thousand  troops  were 
locked  within  this  fortress,  when  the  key  turned  in 
the  stupendous  gate. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  103 

A  hundred  years  since,  the  very  air  of  the  spot 
where  we  now  stand,  vibrated  with  the  chime  of 
the  church-bells  and  the  roll  of  the  stately  organ,  or 
wafted  to  devout  multitudes  the  savor  of  holy  in 
cense.  Here  were  congregated  the  soldiers,  mer 
chants,  artisans  of  old  France  ;  on  these  high  walls 
paced  the  solemn  sentry;  in  these  streets  the  nun" 
stole  past  in  her  modest  hood ;  or  the  romantic  dam 
sel  pressed  her  cheek  to  the  latticed  window,  as  the 
young  officer  rode  by  and,  martial  music  filled  the 
avenues  with  its  inspiring  strains ;  in  yonder  bay 
floated  the  great  war-ships  of  Louis ;  and  around 
the  shores  of  this  harbor  could  be  counted  battery 
after  battery,  with  scores  of  guns  bristling  trom  the 
embrasures. 

The  building  of  this  stronghold  was  a  labor  of 
twenty-five  years.  The  stone  walls  rose  to  the 
height  of  thirty-six  feet.  In  those  broken  arches,  stud 
ded  with  stalactites,  those  casemates,  or  vaults  of  the 
citadel,  you  still  see  some  evidence  of  its  former 
strength.  You  will  know  the  citadel  by  them,  and 
by  the  greater  height  of  the  mounds  which  mark 
the  walls  that  once  encompassed  it.  Within  these 
stood  the  smaller  military  chapel.  Think  of  look 
ing  down  from  this  point  upon  those  broad  avenues, 
busy  with  life,  a  hundred  years  ago  ! 

Neither  roof  nor  spire  remain  now ;  nor  square 


104  ACADIA,     OR    A     MONTH 

nor  street ;  nor  convent,  church,  or  barrack.  The 
green  turf  covers  all :  even  the  foundations  of  the 
houses  are  buried.  It  is  a  city  without  an  inhabi 
tant.  Dismantled  cannon,  with  the  rust  clinging 
in  great  flakes  ;  scattered  implements  of  war ;  bro 
ken  weapons,  bayonets,  gun-locks,  shot,  shell  or 
grenade,  unclaimed,  untouched,  corroded  and  cor 
roding,  in  silence  and  desolation,  with  no  signs  of 
life  visible  within  these  once  warlike  parapets  ex 
cept  the  peaceful  sheep,  grazing  upon  the  very 
brow  of  the  citadel,  are  the  only  relics  of  once 
powerful  Louisburgh. 

Let  us  recall  the  outlines  of  its  history.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  last  century,  just  after  the  death  of 
Louis  XIV.,  these  foundations  were  laid,  and  the 
town  named  in  honor  of  the  ruling  monarch.  Nova 
Scotia  proper  had  been  ceded,  by  recent  treaty,  to 
the  filibusters  of  Old  and  New-England,  but  the 

O 

ancient  Island  of  Cape  Breton  still  owned  allegiance 
to  the  lilies  of  France.  Among  the  beautiful  and 
commodious  harbors  that  indent  the  southern  coast 
of  the  island,  this  one  was  selected  as  being  most 
easy  of  access.  Although  naturally  well  adapted 
for  defence,  yet  its  fortification  cost  the  government 
immense  sums  of  money,  insomuch  as  all  the  ma 
terials  for  building  had  to  be  brought  from  a  dis 
tance.  Belknap  thus  describes  it :  "  It  was  environed. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  105 

two  miles  and  a  half  in  circumference,  with  a  ram 
part  of  stone  from  thirty  to  thirty-six  feet  high,  and  a 
ditch  eighty  feet  wide,  with  the  exception  of  a  space 
of  two  hundred  yards  near  the  sea,  which  was  in 
closed  by  a  dyke  and  a  line  of  pickets.  The  water 
in  this  place  was  shallow,  and  numerous  reefs  ren 
dered  it  inaccessible  to  shipping,  while  it  received 
an  additional  protection  from  the  side-fire  of  the  bas 
tions.  There  were  six-bastions  and  eight  batteries, 
containing  embrasures  for  one  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  cannon,  of  which  forty-five  only  were  mount 
ed,  and  eight  mortars.  On  an  island  at  the  en 
trance  of  the  harbor  was  planted  a  battery  of  thirty 
cannon,  carrying  twenty-eight  pound  shot ;  and  at 
the  bottom  of  the  harbor  was  a  grand,  or  royal  bat 
tery,  of  twenty-eight  cannon,  forty-two  pounders, 
and  two  eigh teen-pounders.  On  a  high  cliff,  oppo 
site  to  the  island-battery,  stood  a  light  house,  and 
within  this  point,  at  the  north-east  part  of  the  har 
bor,  was  a  careening  wharf,  secure  from  all  winds, 
and  a  magazine  of  naval  stores.  The  town  was  re 
gularly  laid  out  in  squares  ;  the  streets  were  broad 
and  commodious,  and  the  houses,  which  were  built 
partly  of  wood  upon  stone  foundations,  and  partly 
of  more  durable  materials,  corresponded  with  the 
general  appearance  of  the  place.  In  the  centre  of 
one  of  the  chief  bastions  was  a  stone  building,  with 

5* 


106  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

a  moat  on  the  side  near  the  town,  which  was  called 
the  citadel,  though  it  had  neither  artillery  nor  a 
structure  suitable  to  receive  any.  Within  this 
building  were  the  apartments  of  the  governor,  the 
barracks  for  the  soldiers,  and  the  arsenal  ;  and,  un 
der  the  platform  of  the  redoubt,  a  magazine  well 
furnished  with  military  stores.  The  parish  church, 
also,  stood  within  the  citadel,  and  without  was  an 
other,  belonging  to  the  hospital  of  St.  Jean  de  Dieu, 
which  was  an  elegant  and  spacious  structure.  The 
entrance  to  the  town  was  over  a  drawbridge,  near 
which  was  a  circular  battery,  mounting  sixteen 
guns  of  fourteen-pound  shot." 

This  cannon-studded  harbor  was  the  naval  depot 
of  France  in  America,  the  nucleus  of  its  military 
power,  the  protector  of  its  fisheries,  the  key  of  the 
gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  the  Sebastopol  of  the  "New 
World.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  it  had  been 
gathering  strength  by  slow  degrees :  Acadia,  poor 
inoffensive  Acadia,  from  time  to  time,  had  been 
the  prey  of  its  rapacious  neighbors  ;  but  Louisburgh 
had  grown  amid  its  protecting  batteries,  until  Mas 
sachusetts  felt  that  it  was  time  for  the  armies  of  Gad 
to  go  forth  and  purge  the  threshing-floor  with  such 
ecclesiastical  iron  fans  as  they  were  wont  to  waft 
peace  and  good  will  with,  wherever  there  was  a 
fine  opening  for  profit  and  edification. 


W  i  T  ii     T  II  K     li  L  i:  !•:     NOSES.  107 

The  first  expedition  against  Louisburgh  was  only 
justifiable  upon  the  ground  that  the  wants  of  New 
England  for  additional  territory  were  pressing,  and 
immediate  action,  under  the  circumstances,  indis 
pensable.  Levies  of  colonial  troops  were  made, 
both  in  and  out  of  the  territories  of  the  saints.  The 
forces,  however,  actually  employed,  came  from 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  and  New  Hampshire  ; 
the  first  supplying  three  thousand  two  hundred,  the 
second  five  hundred,  the  third  three  hundred  men. 
The  cooperation  of  Commodore  Warren,  of  the 
English  West-Indian  fleet,  was  solicited ;  but  the 
Commodore  declined,  on  the  ground  "that  the  expe 
dition  was  wholly  a  provincial  affair,  undertaken 
without  the  assent,  and  probably  without  the 
knowledge,  of  the  ministry."  But  Governor  Shirley 
was  not  a  man  to  stop  at  trifles.  He  had  a  heart 
of  lignum  vitse,  a  rigid  anti-papistical  conscience, 
beetle  brows,  and  an  eye  to  the  cod-fisheries. 
Higher  authority  than  international  law  was  pressed 
into  the  service.  George  Whitefield,  then  an 
itinerant  preacher  in  New-England,  furnished  the 
necessary  warrant  for  the  expedition,  by  giving  a 
motto  for  its  banner  :  "Nil  desperandum  Christo 
duce  " — Nothing  is  to  be  despaired  of  with  CHRIST 
for  leader.  The  command  was,  however,  given  to 
William  Pepperel,  a  fish  and  shingle  merchant 


108  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

of  Maine.  One  of  the  chaplains  of  the  filibusters 
carried  a  hatchet  specially  sharpened,  to  hew 
down  the  wooden  images  in  the  churches  of  Louis- 
burgh.  Everything  that  was  needed  to  encourage 
and  cheer  the  saints,  was  provided  by  Governor 
Shirley,  especially  a  goodly  store  of  New  England 
rum,  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Moody,  the  lengthiest 
preacher  in  the  colonies.  Louisburgh,  at  that  time 
feebly  garrisoned,  held  out  bravely  in  spite  of  the 
formidable  array  concentrated  against  it.  In  vain 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Moody  preached  to  its  high  stone 
walls ;  in  vain  the  iconoclast  chaplain  brandished 
his  ecclesiastical  hatchet ;  in  vain  "Whitefield's  ban 
ner  flaunted  to  the  wind.  The  fortress  held  out 
against  shot  and  shell,  saint,  flag  and  sermon. 
New  England  ingenuity  finally  circumvented  Louis- 
burgh.  Humiliating  as  the  confession  is,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  our  pious  forefathers  did  actually 
abandon  "  CHKISTO  duce,"  and  used  instead  a  little 
worldly  artifice. 

Commodore  "Warren,  who  had  declined  taking  a 
part  in  the  siege  of  Louisburgh,  on  account  of  the 
regulations  of  the  service,  had  received,  after  the 
departure  of  the  expedition,  instructions  to  keep  a 
look-out  for  the  interests  of  his  majesty  in  North 
America,  which  of  course  could  be  readily  inter 
preted,  by  an  experienced  officer  in  his  majesty's 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  109 

service,  to  mean  precisely  what  was  meant  to  be 
meant.  As  a  consequence,  Commodore  Warren 
was  speedily  on  the  look-out,  off  the  coast  of  Cape 
Breton,  and  in  the  course  of  events  fell  in  with,  and 
captured,  the  "  Vigilant,"  seventy-four,  commanded 
by  Captain  Stronghouse,  or,  as  his  title  runs,  "  the 
Marquis  de  la  Maison  Forte."  The  "Vigilant"  was 
a  store-ship,  filled  with  munitions  of  war  for  the 
French  town.  Here  was  a  glorious  opportunity. 
If  the  saints  could  only  intimate  to  Duchambon, 
the  Governor  of  Louisburgh,  that  his  supplies 
had  been  cut  off,  Duchambon  might  think  of 
capitulation.  But  unfortunately  the  French  were 
prejudiced  against  the  saints,  and  would  not  believe 
them  under  oath.  But  when  probity  fails,  a  little 
ingenuity  and  artifice  will  do  quite  as  well.  The 
chief  of  the  expedition  was  equal  to  the  emergency. 
He  took  the  Marquis  of  Stronghouse  to  the  different 
ships  on  the  station,  where  the  French  prisoners 
were  confined,  and  showed  him  that  they  were 
treated  with  great  civility  ;  then  he  represented  to 
the  Marquis  that  the  JSTew  England  prisoners  were 
cruelly  dealt  with  in  the  fortress  of  Louisburgh ; 
and  requested  him  to  write  a  letter,  in  the  name  of 
humanity,  to  Duchambon,  Governor,  in  behalf  of 
those  suffering  saints  ;  "  expressing  his  approbation 
of  the  conduct  of  the  English,  and  entreating  similar 


110  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

usuage  for  those  whom  the  fortune  of  war  had 
thrown  in  his  hands."  The  Marquis  wrote  the  let 
ter  ;  thus  it  begins :  "  On  board  the  *  Yigilant,' " 
whore  I  am  a  prisoner,  before  Louisburgh,  June 
thirteen,  1745.-'  The  rest  of  the  letter  is  unimport 
ant.  The  confession  of  Captain  Stronghou&e,  that 
he  was  a  prisoner,  was  the  point ;  and  the  conse 
quences  thereof,  which  had  been  foreseen  by  the 
filibustering  besiegers,  speedily  followed.  In  three 
days  Louisburgh  capitulated. 

Then  the  Rev.  Samuel  Moody  greatly  distin 
guished  himself.  He  was  a  painful  preacher  ;  the 
most  untiring,  persevering,  long-winded,  clamorous, 
pertinacious  vessel  at  craving  a  blessing,  in  the 
provinces.  There  was  a  great  feast  in  honor  of  the 
occasion.  But  more  formidable  than  the  siege 
itself,  was  the  anticipated  "  grace "  of  Brother 
Moody.  ]New  England  held  its  breath  when  he 
began,  and  thus  the  Reverend  Samuel:  "Good 
Lord,  we  have  so  many  things  to  thank  Thee  for, 
that  time  will  be  infinitely  too  short  to  do  it ;  we 
must  therefore  leave  it  for  the  work  of  eter 
nity." 

Upon  this  there  was  great  rejoicing,  yea,  more 
than  there  had  been  upon  the  capture  of  the 
French  stronghold.  Who  shall  say  whether  Brother 
Moody's  brevity  may  not  stretch  farther  across  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSE'S.  Ill 

intervals  of  time  than  the  longest  preaching  ever 
preached  by  mortal  preacher  ? 

In  three  years  after  its  capture,  Louisbnrgh  was 
restored  to  the  French  by  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle.  Ten  years  after  its  restoration,  a  heavier 
armament,  a  greater  fleet,  a  more  numerous  army, 
besieged  its  almost  impregnable  walls.  Under 
Amherst,  Boscawen,  and  Wolfe,  no  less  than  twenty- 
three  ships  of  war,  eighteen  frigates,  sixteen  thou 
sand  land  forces,  with  a  proportionable  train  of 
cannon  and  mortars,  were  arrayed  against  this 
great  fortress  in  the  year  1Y58.  Here,  too,  many  of 
our  own  ancestral  warriors  were  gathered  in  that 
memorable*  conflict ;  here  Gridley,  who  afterwards 
planned  the  redoubt  at  Bunker  Hill,  won  his  first 
laurels  as  an  engineer  ;  here  Pomeroy  distinguished 
himself,  and  others  whose  names  are  not  recorded, 
but  whose  deeds  survive  in  the  history  of  a  repub 
lic.  The  very  drum  that  beat  to  arms  before  Louis- 
burgh  was  braced  again  when  the  greater  drama  of 
the  Revolution  opened  at  Concord  and  Lexington. 

The  siege  continued  for  nearly  two  months. 
From  June  8th  until  July  26th,  the  storm  of  iron 
and  fire — of  rocket,  shot,  and  shell — swept  from 
yonder  batteries,  upon  the  castellated  city.  Then 
when  the  King's,  the  Queen's,  the  Dauphin's  bas 
tions  were  lying  in  ruins,  the  commander,  Le  Cheva- 


112  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

Her  de  Drucour,  capitulated,  and  the  lilies  of  the 
Bourbon  waved  over  Louisburgli  no  more. 

And  here  we  stand  nearly  a  century  after,  look 
ing  out  from  these  war-works  upon  the  desolate 
harbor.  At  the  entrance,  the  wrecks  of  three 
French  frigates,  sunk  to  prevent  the  ingress  of  the 
British  fleet,  yet  remain  ;  sometimes  visited  by  our 
still  enterprising  countrymen,  who  come  down  in 
coasters  with  diving-bell  and  windlass,  to  raise 
again  from  the  deep,  imbedded  in  sea-shells,  the 
great  guns  that  have  slept  in  the  ooze  so  long.  Be 
tween  those  two  points  lay  the  ships  of  the  line, 
and  frigates  of  Louis ;  opposite,  where  the  parapets 
of  stone  are  yet  visible,  was  the  grand"  battery  of 
forty  guns:  at  Lighthouse  Point  yonder,  two 
thousand  grenadiers,  under  General  Wolfe,  drove 
back  the  French  artillerymen,  and  turned  their 
cannon  upon  these  mighty  walls.  Here  the  great 
seventy-four  blew  up  ;  there  the  English  boats  were 
sunk  by  the  guns  of  the  fortress ;  day  and  night  for 
many  weeks  this  ground  has  shuddered  with  the 
thunders  of  the  cannonade. 

And  what  of  all  this  ?  we  may  ask.  What  of  the 
ships  that  were  sunk,  and  those  that  floated  away 
with  the  booty  ?  What  of  the  soldiers  that  fell  by 
hundreds  here,  and  those  that  lived  ?  What  of  the 
prisoners  that  mourned,  and  the  captors  that 


WITH     THE     BLUE    NOSES.  113 

triumphed  ?  What  of  the  flash  of  artillery,  and  the 
shattered  wall  that  answered  it  ?  Has  any  benefit 
resulted  to  mankind  from  this  brilliant  achieve 
ment  ?  Can  any  man,  of  any  nation,  stand  here  and 
say  :  "  This  work  was  wrought  to  my  profit  ?"  Can 
any  man  draw  such  a  breath  here  amid  these  buried 
walls,  as  he  can  upon  the  humblest  sod  that  ever 
was  wet  with  the  blood  of  patriotism  ?  I  trow  not. 

A  second  time  in  possession  of  this  stronghold, 
England  had  not  the  means  to  maintain  her  con 
quest;  the  fortification  was  too  large  for  any  but  a 
powerful  garrison.  A  hundred  war-ships  had  con 
gregated  in  that  harbor :  frigates,  seventy-fours, 
transports,  sloops,  under  the  Fleur-de-lis.  Although 
Louisburgh  was  the  pivot-point  of  the  French  pos 
sessions,  yet  it  was  but  an  outside  harbor  for  the 
colonies.  So  the  order  went  forth  to  destroy  the 
.  town  that  had  been  reared  with  so  much  cost,  and 
captured  with  so  much  sacrifice.  And  it  took 
two  years  with  gunpowder  to  blow  up  these  im 
mense  walls,  upon  which  we  now  sadly  stand,  O 
gentle  reader  !  Turf,  turf,  turf  covers  all!  The 
gloomiest  spectacle  the  sight  of  man  can  dwell 
upon  is  the  desolate,  but  once  populous,  abode  of 
humanity.  Egypt  itself  is  cheerful  compared  with 
Louisburgh ! 

"  It  rains,"  said  Picton. 


114:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

It  had  rained  all  the  morning ;  but  what  did 
that  matter  when  a  hundred  years  since  was  in 
one's  mind  ?  Picton,  in  his  mackintosh,  was  an 
impervious  representative  of  the  nineteenth  cen 
tury  ;  but  my  clothes  were  as  fully  saturated  with 
water  as  if  I  had  been  living  in  the  place  under  the 
old  French  regime" 

"  Let  us  go  down,"  said  Picton,  "  and  see  the 
jolly  old  fishermen  outside  the  walls.  What  is  the 
use  of  staying  here  in  the  rain  after  you  have  seen 
all  that  can  be  seen?  Come  along.  Just  think 
how  serene  it  will  be  if  we  can  get  some  milk  and 
potatoes  down  there. 

There  are  about  a  dozen  fishermen's  huts  on  the 
beach  outside  the  walls  of  the  old  town  of  Louis- 
burgh.  When  you  enter  one  it  reminds  you  of  the 
descriptive  play-bill  of  the  melo-drama — "  Scene  II. : 
Interior  of  a  Fisherman's  Cottage  on  the  Sea-shore : 
Ocean  in  the  Distance."  The  walls  are  built  of 
heavy  timbers,  laid  one  upon  another,  and  caulked 
with  moss  or  oakum.  Overhead  are  square  beams, 
with  pegs  for  nets,  poles,  guns,  boots,  the  heteroge 
neous  and  grotesque  tackle  with  which  such  ceil 
ings  are  usually  ornamented.  But  oh !  how  clean 
everything  is  !  The  knots  are  fairly  scrubbed  out 
of  the  floor-planks,  the  hearth-bricks  red  as  cherries, 
the  dresser-shelves  worn  thin  with  soap  and  sand. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  115 

and  white  as  the  sand  with  which  they  have  been 
scoured.  I  never  saw  drawing-room  that  could 
compare  with  the  purity  of  that  interior.  It  was 
cleanliness  itself;  but  I  saw  many  such  before 
I  left  Louisburgh,  in  both  the  old  town  and  the 
new. 

"We  sat  down  in  the  "  hutch,"  as  they  call  it,  be 
fore  a  cheery  wood-fire,  and  soon  forgot  all  about 
the  outside  rain.  But  if  we  had  shut  out  the  rain, 
we  had  not  shut  out  the  neighboring  Atlantic. 
That  was  near  enough ;  the  thunderous  surf,  whirl 
ing,  pouring,  breaking  against  the  rocky  shore  and 
islands,  was  sounding  in  our  ears,  and  we  could  see 
the  great  white  masses  of  foam  lifted  against  the  sky 
from  the  window  of  the  hutch,  as  we  sat  before  the 
warm  fire. 

"  You  was  lucky  to  get  in  last  night,"  said  the 
master  of  the  hutch,  an  old,  weather-beaten  fisher 
man. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Picton,  surveying  the  grey  head 
before  him  with  as  much  complacency  as  he  would 
a  turnip ;  "  and  a  serene  old  place  it  is  when  we 
get  in." 

To  this  the  weather-beaten  replied  by  winking 
twice  with  both  eyes. 

"  Rather  a  dangerous  coast,"  continued  Picton, 
stretching  out  one  thigh  before  the  fire.  "  I  say, 


116  ACADIA,     OR     A    MONTH 

don't  you  fishermen  often  lose  your  lives  out 
there?"  and  he  pointed  to  the  mouth  of  the  har 
bor. 

"  There  was  only  two  lives  lost  in  seventy  years" 
replied  the  old  man  (this  remarkable  fact  was  con 
firmed  by  many  persons  of  whom  we  asked  the 
same  question,  during  our  visit),  "  and  one  of  them 
was  a  young  man,  a  stranger  here,  who  was  cap 
sized  in  a  boat  as  he  was  going  out  to  a  vessel  in 
the  harbor." 

"  You  are  speaking  now  of  lives  lost  in  the  fishe 
ries,"  said  Picton,  "  not  in  the  coasting  trade." 

"  Oh !"  replied  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head, 
"the  coasting  trade  is  different;  there  is  a  many 
lives  lost  in  that.  Last  year  I  had  a  brother  as 
sailed  out  of  this  in  a  shallop,  on  the  same  day  as 
yon  vessel,"  pointing  to  the  Balaklava ;  "  he 
went  out  in  company  with  your  captain ;  he  was 
going  to  his  wedding,  he  thought,  poor  fellow,  for 
he  was  to  bring  a  young  wife  home  with  him  from 
Halifax,  but  he  got  caught  in  a  storm  off  Canseau, 
and  we  never  heard  of  the  shallop  again.  He  was 
my  youngest  brother,  gentlemen." 

It  was  strange  to  be  seated  in  that  old  cottage, 
listening  to  so  dreary  a  story,  and  watching  the 
storm  outside.  There  was  a  wonderful  fascination 
in  it,  nevertheless,  and  I  was  not  a  little  loth  to 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  117 

leave  the  bright  hearth  when  the  sailors  from  the 
schooner  came  for  us  and  carried  us  on  board  again 
to  dinner. 

The  storm  continued ;  but  Picton  and  I  found 
plenty  to  do  that  day.  Equipped  with  oil-skin  pea- 
jackets  and  sou'-westers,  with  a  couple  offish-pughs, 
or  poles,  panted  with  iron,  we  started  on  a  cruise 
after  lobsters,  in  a  sort  of  flat-bottomed  skiff,  pecu 
liar  to  the  place,  called  a  dinglcdeJcooch.  And 
although  we  did  not  catch  one  lobster,  yet  we  did 
not  lose  sight  of  many  interesting  particulars  that 
were  scattered  around  the  harbor.  And  first  of  the 
fisheries.  All  the  people  here  are  directly  or  indi 
rectly  engaged  in  this  business,  and  to  this  they 
devote  themselves  entirely  ;  farming  being  scarcely 
thought  of.  I  doubt  whether  there  is  a  plough  in 
the  place ;  certainly  there  was  not  a  horse,  in  either 
the  old  or  new  town,  or  a  vehicle  of  any  kind,  as 
we  found  out  betimes. 

The  fishing  here,  as  in  all  other  places  along  the 
coast,  is  carried  on  in  small,  clinker-built  boats, 
sharp  at  both  ends,  and  carrying  two  sails.  It  is 
marvellous  with  what  dexterity  these  boats  are  han 
dled  ;  they  are  out  in  all  weathers,  and  at  all 
times,  night  or  day,  as  it  happens,  and  although 
sometimes  loaded  to  the  gunwale  with  fish,  yet 
they  encounter  the  roughest  gales,  and  ride  out 


1J8  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

storms  in  safety,  that  would  be  perilous  to  the 
largest  vessels. 

"  I  can  carry  all  sail,"  said  one  old  fellow,  "  when 
the  captain  there  would  have  to  take  in  every  rag 
on  the  schooner." 

And  such,  too,  was  the  fact.  These  boats  usually 
sail  a  few  miles  from  the  shore,  rarely  beyond 
twelve  ;  the  fish  are  taken  with  hand-lines  generally, 
but  sometimes  a  set  line  with  buoys  and  an 
chors  is  used.  The  fish  are  cured  on  flakes,  or  high 
platforms,  raised  upon  poles  from  the  beach,  so  that 
one  end  of  the  staging  is  over  the  water.  The  cod 
are  thrown  up  from  the  boat  to  the  flake  by  means 
of  the  fish-pugh — a  sort  of  one-pronged,  piscatory 
pitchfork — and  cleaned,  salted,  and  cured  there ; 
then  spread  out  to  dry  on  the  flake,  or  on  the  beach, 
and  packed  for  market.  Nothing  can  be  neater  and 
cleaner  than  the  whole  system  of  curing  the  fish ! 
popular  opinion  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 
The  fishermen  of  Louisburgh  are  a  happy,  con 
tented,  kind,  and  simple  people.  Living,  as  they 
do,  far  from  the  jarring  interests  of  the  busy  world, 
having  a  common  revenue,  for  the  ocean  supplies 
each  and  all  alike  ;  pursuing  an  occupation  which 
is  constant  discipline  for  body  and  soul ;  brave,  sin 
cere,  and  hospitable  by  nature,  for  all  of  these  vir 
tues  are  inseparable  from  their  relations  to  each 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  110 

other ;  one  can  scarcely  be  with  them,  no  matter 
how  brief  the  visit,  without  feeling  a  kindred  sym 
pathy ;  without  having  a  vague  thought  of  "  some 
time  I  may  be  only  too  glad  to  escape  from  the 
world  and  accept  this  humble  happiness  instead  ;" 
without  a  dreamy  idea  of  "  Perhaps  this,  after  all, 
is  the  real -Arcadia!" 

While  I  was  indulging  in  these  reflections,  it  was 
amusing  to  see  Picton  at  work !  The  heads  and  en 
trails  of  the  cod-fish,  thrown  from  the  "  flakes"  into 
the  water,  attract  thousands  of  the  baser  tribes,  such 
as  sculpins,  flounders,  and  toad-fish,  who  feed  them 
selves  fat  upon  the  oifals,  and  enjoy  a  peaceful  life 
under  the  clear  waters  of  the  harbor.  As  the  din- 
gledekooch  floated  silently  over  them,  they  lay  per 
fectly  quiet  and  unsuspicious  of  danger,  although 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  fatal  fish-pugh,  and  in  an 
element  almost  as  transparent  as  air.  Lobster,  dur 
ing  the  storm,  had  gone  off  to  other  grounds  ;  but 
here  were  great  flat  flounders  and  sculpin,  within 
reach  of  the  indefatigable  Picton.  Down  went  the 
fish-pugh  and  up  came  the  game  !  The  bottom  of 
the  skiff  was  soon  covered  with  the  spearings  of  the 
traveller.  Great  flounders,  those  sub-marine  buck 
wheat  cakes  ;  sculpins,  bloated  with  rage  and  wind, 
like  patriots  out  of  office  ;  toad-fish,  savage  and  vin 
dictive  as  Irishmen  in  a  riot.  Down  went  the  fish 


120  A  CAD  I  A,     Oil    A    MONTH 

pngh !  It  was  rare  sport,  and  no  person  could  have 
enjoyed  it  more  than  Picton — except  perhaps  some 
of  the  veteran  fishermen  of  Lonisburgh,  who  were 
gathered  on  the  beach  watching  the  doings  in  the 
dingledekooch. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  121 


CHAPTER   VI. 

A  most  acceptable  Invitation — An  Evening  ill  the  Hutch — Old 
Songs — Picton  in  High  Feather — Wolfe  and  Montcalm — Remi 
niscences  of  the  Siege — Anecdotes  of  Wolfe — A  Touch  of  Rhe 
toric  and  its  Consequences. 

QUITE  a  little  crowd  of  fishermen  gathered  around 
us,  as  the  dingledekooch  ran  bows  on  the  beach,  and 
Picton,  warm  with  exercise  and  excitement,  leaped 
ashore,  flourishing  his  piscatorial  javelin  with  an  air 
of  triumph,  which  oddly  contrasted  with  the  faces 
of  the  Louisburghers,  who  looked  at  him  and  at  his 
game,  with  countenances  of  great  gravity — either 
real  or  assumed.  Presently,  another  boat  ran  bows 
on  the  beach  beside  our  own,  and  from  this  jumped 
Bruce,  our  jolly  first  mate,  who  had  come  ashore  to 
spend  a  few  hours  with  an  old  friend,  at  one  of  the 
hutches.  To  this  we  were  hospitably  invited  also, 
and  were  right  glad  to  uncase  our  limbs  of  stiff  oil 
skin  and  doff  our  sou'- westers,  and  sit  down  before 
the  cheery  fire,  piled  up  with  spruce  logs  and  hack 
matack  ;  comfortable,  indeed,  was  it  to  be  thus 
snugly  housed,  while  the  weather  outside  was  so 
lowering,  and  the  schooner  wet  and  cold  with  rain. 

6 


122  ACADIA,      OR    A     MONTH 

To  be  sure,  our  gay  and  festive  hall  was  not  so  bril 
liant  as  some,  but  it  was  none  the  less  acceptable 
on  that  account ;  and,  before  long,  a  fragrant  rasher 
of  bacon,  fresh  eggs,  white  bread,  and  a  strong  cup 
of  bitter  tea  made  us  feel  entirely  happy.  Then 
these  viands  being  removed,  there  came  pipes  and 
tobacco;  and  as  something  else  was  needed  to  crown 
the  symposium,  Picton  whispered  a  word  in  the  ear 
of  Bruce,  who  presently  disappeared,  to  return 
again  after  a  brief  absence,  with  some  of  our  stores 
from  the  schooner.  Then  the  table  was  decked 
again,  with  china  mugs  of  dazzling  whiteness,  le 
mons,  hot  water,  and  a  bottle  of  old  Glenlivet ;  and 
from  the  centre  of  this  gallant  show,  the  one  great 
lamp  of  the  hutch  cast  its  mellow  radiance  around, 
and  nursed  in  the  midst  of  its  flame  a  great  ball  of 
red  coal  that  burned  like  a  bonfire.  Then,  when 
our  host,  the  old  fisherman,  brought  out  a  bundle 
of  warm  furs,  of  moose  and  cariboo  skins,  and  dis 
tributed  them  around  on  the  settles  and  broad,  high- 
backed  benches,  so  that  we  could  loll  at  our  ease, 
we  began  to  realize  a  sense  of  being  quite  snug  and 
cozy,  and,  indeed,  got  used  to  it  in  a  surprisingly 
short  space  of  time. 

"  Now,  then,"  said  Picton,  "  this  is  what  I  call 
serene,"  and  the  traveller  relapsed  into  his  usual 
activity  ;  after  a  brief  respite — "  I  say,  give  us  a 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  123 

song,  will  you,  now,  some  of  you  ;  something  about 
this  jolly  old  place,  now — '  Brave  Wolfe,'  or  '  Bos- 
cawen,' "  and  he  broke  out — 

"  '  My  name  d'ye  see's  Tom  Tough,  IVe  seen  a  little  sarvice, 

Where  mighty  billows  roll  and  loud  tempests  blow  ; 
I've  sailed  with  noble  Howe,  and  I've  sailed  with  noble  Jarvis, 
And  in  Admiral  Duncan's  fleet  I've  sung  yeo,  heave,  yeo ! 
And  more  ye  must  be  knowin', 
I  was  cox'son  to  Boscawen 
When  our  fleet  attacked  Louisburgh, 

And  laid  her  bulwarks  low. 
But  push  about  the  grog,  boys  ! 
Hang  care,  it  killed  a  cut, 
Push  about  the  grog,  and  sing — 
Yeo,  heave,  yeo!' " 

"  Good  Lord  !"  said  the  old  fisherman,  "  I  harn't 
heard  that  song  for  more'n  thirty  years.  Sing  us 
another  bit  of  it,  please." 

But  Picton  had  not  another  bit  of  it ;  so  he  called 
lustily  for  some  one  else  to  sing.  "  Hang  it,  sing 
something,"  said  the  traveller.  "  'How  stands  the 
glass  around ;'  that,  you  know,  was  written  by 
Wolfe ;  at  least,  it  was  sung  by  him  the  night  be 
fore  the  battle  of  Quebec,  and  they  call  it  Wolfe's 
death  song — 

'  How  stands  the  glass  around? 

For  shame,  ye  take  no  care,  my  boys ! 
How  stands  the  glass  around  ?'  " 


124  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

Here  Picton  forgot  the  next  line,  and  substituted  a 
drink  for  it,  in  correct  time  with  the  music  : 

"  'The  trumpets  sound; 

The  colors  flying  are,  my  boys, 
To  fight,  kill,  or  wound  '  " 

Another  slip  of  the  memory  [drink]  : 

"  '  May  we  still  be  found,' " 

He  has  found  it,  and  repeats  emphatically : 

"  '  May  we  still  be  found  ! 

Content  with  our  hard  fare,  my  boyB, 

[all  drink] 

On  the  cold  ground!' 

"  Then  there  is  another  song,"  said  Picton,  light 
ing  his  pipe  with  coal  and  tongs;  "'Wolfe  and 
Montcalm' — you  must  know  that,"  he  continued, 
addressing  the  old  fisherman.  But  the  ancient  tri- 
lobite  did  not  know  it ;  indeed,  he  was  not  a  singer, 
so  Picton  trolled  lustily  forth — 

" «  He  lifted  up  his  head, 

While  the  cannons  did  rattle, 
To  his  aid  de  camp  he  said, 

'  How  goes  the  battail  ?' 
The  aid  de  camp,  he  cried, 

'  'Tis  in  our  favor ;' 
*  Oh  !  then,'  brave  Wolfe  replied, 

•I  die  with  pleasure  !'  " 


WITH     THE     BLUE     NOSES.  125 

"  There,"  said  Pictoii,  throwing  himself  back 
upon  the  warm  and  cosy  furs,  "  I  am  at  the  end  of 
my  rope,  gentlemen.  Sing  away,  some  of  yon," 
and  the  traveller  drew  a  long  spiral  of  smoke 
through  his  tube,  and  ejected  it  in  a  succession  of 
beautiful  rings  at  the  beams  overhead. 

"Picton,"  said  I,  "what  a  strange,  romantic  in 
terest  attaches  itself  to  the  memory  of  Wolfe.  The 
very  song  you  have  sung,  '  How  stands  the  glass 
around,'  although  not  written  by  him,  for  it  was 
composed  before  he  was  born,  yet  has  a  currency 
from  the  popular  belief  that  he  sang  it  on  the  even 
ing  preceding  his  last  battle.  And,  indeed,  it  is  by 
no  means  certain  that  Gray's  Elegy  does  not  derive 
additional  interest  from  a  kindred  tradition." 

"  What  is  that  ?"  said  the  traveller. 

"  Of  course  you  will  remember  it.  "When  Gray 
had  completed  the  Elegy,  he  sent  a  copy  of  it  to  his 
friend,  General  Wolfe,  in  America ;  and  the  story 
goes,  that  as  the  great  hero  was  sitting,  wrapped  in 
his  military  cloak,  on  board  the  barge  which  the 
sailors  were  rowing  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  towards 
Quebec,  he  produced  the  poem,  and  read  it  in 
silence  by  the  waning  light  of  approaching  evening, 
until  he  came  to  these  lines,  which  he  repeated 
aloud  to  his  officers  : 


126  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

'  The  boast  of  heraldry,  the  pomp  of  power, 

And  all  that  beauty,  all  that  wealth  e'er  gave, 
Await  alike  the  inevitable  hour  ' 

Then  pausing  for  a  moment,  lie  finished  the  stanza : 

4  The  paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave.'  " 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  added,  "  I  would  rather  be  the 
writer  of  this  poem,  than  the  greatest  conqueror  the 
world  ever  produced." 

"That's  true,"  said  the  old  fisherman,  senten- 
tiously.  "  We  are  all  bound  to  that  place,  some 
time  or  other." 

"  What  place  ?"  said  Picton,  rousing  up. 

"  The  berrying-ground,"  answered  the  ancient ; 
"  that  is  if  we  don't  get  overboard  instead." 

"  But,"  he  continued,  "  since  you  are  speaking 
of  General  Wolfe,  you  must  know  my  grandfather 
served  under  him  at  Minden,  and  at  the  battle  here, 
too,  where  he  was  wounded,  and  left  behind,  when 
the  general  went  back  to  England." 

"  I  thought  he  went  from  this  place  to  Quebec," 
said  Picton. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  he  went  first  to 
London,  and  came  back  again,  and  then  went  to 
Canada.  Well,"  he  continued,  "my  grandfather 
served  under  him,  and  was  left  here  to  get  over  his 
wownds,  and  so  he  married  my  grandmother,  and 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  127 

lived  in  Louisburgli  after  the  French  were  all  sent 
away."  Here  the  veteran  placed  his  paws  on  the 
table,  and  looked  out  into  the  infinite.  We  could 
see  we  were  in  for  a  long  story.  "  All  the  French 
soldiers  and  sailors,  you  see,  were  sent  to  England 
prisoners  of  war — and  the  rest  of  the  people  were 
sent  to  France ;  the  governor  of  this  here  place  was 
named  Drucour ;  he  was  taken  to  Southampton,  and 
put  in  prison.  Well  now,  as  I  was  saying,  this 
hutch  of  mine  was  built  by  my  father,  just  here  by 
Wolfe's  landing,  for  grandfather  took  a  fancy  to 
have  it  built  on  this  spot ;  you  see,  Wolfe  rowed 
over  one  night  in  a  boat  all  alone  from  Lighthouse 
point  yonder,  and  stood  on  the  beach  right  under 
this  here  old  wall,  looking  straight  up  at  the  French 
sentry  over  his  head,  and  taking  a  general  look  at 
the  town  on  both  sides.  There  wasn't  a  man  in 
all  his  soldiers  who  would  have  stood  there  at  that 
time  for  a  thousand  pounds." 

"What  do  you  suppose  the  old  file  was  doing 
over  here  ?"  inquired  Picton,  who  was  getting 
sleepy. 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  our  host,  "  except  it 
was  his  daring.  He  was  the  bravest  man  of  his 
time,  I've  heard  say — and  so  young  " 

"  Two  and  thretty  only,"  said  Bruce. 

u  And  a  tall,  elegant  officer,  too,"  continued  the 


128  A  C  A  D  I  A  ,     OR    A    MONTH 

ancient  fisherman.  "  I've  heard  tell  how  the  French 
governor's  lady  used  to  send  him  sweetmeats  with 
a  flag  of  truce,  and  he  used  to  return  his  compli 
ments  and  a  pine  apple,  or  something  of  that  kind. 
Ah,  he  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  ladies !  I've 
heard  say,  he  was  much  admired  for  his  elegant 
style  of  dancing,  and  always  ambitious  to  have  a 
tall  and  graceful  lady  for  his  partner,  and  then  he 
was  as  much  pleased  as  if  he  was  in  the  thick  of  the 
fight.  He  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  soldiers, 
too ;  very  careful  of  them,  to  see  they  were  well 
nursed  when  they  were  sick,  and  sharing  the 
worst  and  the  best  with  them ;  but  my  grandfather 
used  to  say,  very  strict,  too." 

"  Who  was  in  command  here,  "Wolfe  or  Am- 
herst?" 

"  General  Amherst  was  in  command,  and  got  the 
credit  of  it,  too ;  but  Wolfe  did  the  fighting — so 
grandfather  used  to  say." 

"  What  was  the  name  of  his  leddy  in  the  old 
country  ?"  said  Bruce. 

"  I  do  not  remember,"  replied  the  ancient,  "  but 
I've  heard  it.  You  know  he  was  to  be  married, 
when  he  got  back  to  England.  And  when  the  first 
shot  struck  him  in  the  wrist,  at  Quebec,  he  took  out 
her  handkerchief  from  his  breast-pocket,  smiled, 
wrapped  it  about  the  place,  and  went  on.  with  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  129 

battle  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  But,  soon  after 
he  got  another  wound,  and  yet  he  wasn't  dis 
heartened,  but  waved  his  ratan  over  his  head,  for 
none  of  the  officers  carried  swords  there,  and  kept 
on,  until  the  third  bullet  went  through  and  through 
his  breast,  when  he  fell  back,  and  just  breathed  like, 
till  word  was  brought  that  the  French  were  retreat 
ing,  when  he  said,  then  c  I  am  content,'  and  so 
closed  his  eyes  and  died." 

Here  there  was  a  pause.  Our  entertainer,  wav 
ing  his  hand  towards  our  mugs  of  Glenlivet,  by  way 
of  invitation,  lifted  his  own  to  his  mouth  by  the  han 
dle,  and  with  a  dexterous  tilt  that  showed  practice, 
turned  its  bottom  towards  the  beams  of  the  hutch. 

"  Do  you  remember  any  farther  particulars  of  the 
siege  of  Louisburgh  ?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  old  man,  "I  remember 
grandfather  telling  us  how  he  saw  the  bodies  of  fif 
teen  or  sixteen  deserters  hanging  over  the  walls  ; 
they  were  Germans  that  had  been  sold  to  the 
French,  four  years  before  the  war,  by  a  Prussian 
colonel.  Some  of  them  got  away,  and  came  over 
to  our  side.  He  used  to  say,  the  old  town  looked 
like  a  big  ship  when  they  came  up  to  it ;  it  had  two 
tiers  of  guns,  one  above  the  other,  on  the  south — 
that  is  towards  Gabarus  bay,  where  our  troops 
landed.  And  now  I  mind  me  of  his  telling  that 

6* 


130  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

when  they  landed  at  Gabarus,  they  had  a  hard 
fight  with  the  French  and  Indians,  until  Col. 
Eraser's  regiment  of  Highlanders  jumped  over 
board,  and  swam  to  a  point  on  the  rocks, 
and  drove  the  enemy  away  with  their  broad 
swords." 

"That  was  the  63d  Highlanders,"  said  Bruce, 
with  immense  gravity. 

"Among  the  Indians  killed  at  Gabarus,"  con 
tinued  our  host,  "  they  say  there  was  one  Micmac 
chief,  who  was  six  feet  nine  inches  high.  The 

7  O 

French  soldiers  were  very  much  frightened  when 
the  Highland  men  climbed  up  on  the  rocks  ;  they 
called  them  English  savages." 

"  That  showed,"  said  Bruce,  "  what  a  dommed 
ignorant  set  they  were  !" 

"  And,  while  I  think  of  it,"  added  our  host,  rising 
from  his  seat,  "  I  have  a  bit  of  the  old  time  to  show 
you,"  and  so  saying,  he  retreated  from  the  table, 
and  presently  brought  forth  a  curious  oak  box  from 
a  mysterious  corner  of  the  hutch,  and  after  some 
difficulty  in  drawing  out  the  sliding  cover,  produced 
a  roll  of  tawny  newspapers,  tied  up  with  rope  yarn, 
a  colored  wood  engraving  in  a^  black  frame — a  por 
trait,  with  the  inscription,  "James  Wolfe,  Esq'r, 
Commander  in  Chief  of  His  Majesty's  Forces  in  the 
Expedition  to  Quebec,"  and  on  the  reverse  the  fol- 


WITH     THE     BLUE     NOSES.  131 

lowing  scrap  from  the  London  Chronicle  of  October 
7,  1759 : 

"  Amidst  her  conquests  let  Britannia  groan 
For  Wolfe  !  her  gallant,  her  undaunted  son ; 
For  Wolfe,  whose  breast  bright  Honor  did  inspire 
With  patriot  ardor  and  heroic  fire  ; 
For  Wolfe,  who  headed  that  intrepid  band, 
Who,  greatly  daring,  forced  Cape  Breton's  strand ; 
For  Wolfe,  who  following  still  where  glory  call'd, 
No  dangers  daunted,  no  distress  appall'd; 
Whose  eager  zeal  disasters  could  not  check, 
Intent  to  strike  the  blow  which  gained  Quebec. 
For  Wolfe,  who,  like  the  gallant  Theban,  dy'd 
In  th'  arms  of  victory — his  country's  pride." 

This  inscription  I  read  aloud,  and  then,  under  the 
influence  of  the  loquacious  potable,  leaned  back  in 
my  furry  throne,  crossed  my  hands  over  my  forehead, 
looked  steadily  into  the  blazing  fire-place,  and  con 
tinued  the  theme  I  had  commenced  an  hour  before. 

"  "What  a  strange  interest  attaches  itself  to  the 
memory  of  Wolfe !  A  youthful  hero,  who,  under 
less  happy  auspices,  might  have  been  known  only 
as  the  competent  drill-master  of  regiments,  elevated 
by  the  sagacity  of  England's  wisest  statesman  to  a 
prominent  position  of  command ;  there  to  exhibit  his 
generalship ;  there  to  retrieve  the  long  list  of  dis 
asters  which  followed  Braddock's  defeat ;  there  to 
annihilate  forever  every  vestige  of  French  dominion 


132  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

in  the  Americas  ;  to  fulfill  gloriously  each  point  oi 
his  mission ;  to  achieve,  not  by  long  delays,  but  by 
rapid  movements,  the  conquest  of  two  of  the  great 
est  fortresses  in  the  possession  of  the  rival  crown ; 
to  pass  from  the  world  amid  the  shouts  of  victory — 
content  in  the  fullness  of  his  fame,  without  outliv 
ing  it !  His  was  a  noble,  generous  nature  ;  brave 
without  cruelty;  ardent  and  warlike,  yet  not  insensi 
ble  to  the  tenderest  impulses  of  humanity.  To  die 
betrothed  and  beloved,  yet  wedded  only  to  immor 
tal  honor  ;  to  leave  a  mother,  with  a  nation  weep 
ing  at  her  feet ;  to  serve  his  country,  without  hav 
ing  his  patriotism  contaminated  by  titles,  crosses, 
and  ribbons  ;  this  was  the  most  fortunate  fate  of 
England's  greatest  commander  in  the  colonies !  No 
wonder,  then,  that  with  a  grateful  sympathy  the 
laurels  of  his  mother  country  were  woven  with  the 
cypress  of  her  chivalric  son  ;  that  hundreds  of  pens 
were  inspired  to  pay  some  tribute  to  his  memory ; 
that  every  branch  of  representative  art,  from  stone 
to  ink,  essayed  to  portray  his  living  likeness  ;  that 
parliament  and  pulpit,  with  words  of  eloquence  and 
gratitude,  uttered  the  universal  sentiment ! 

"  Brave  Wolfe,"  I  continued,  "  whose  memory 
is  linked  with  his  no  less  youthful  rival,  Mont- 
calm" here  I  was  interrupted  by  the  voice  of 

the  mate  of  the  Balaklaya — 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  133 

"  I'll  be  dommed,"  said  he,  "  if  some  person  isn't 
afire!" 

Then  I  unclasped  my  hands,  opened  my  eyes, 
and  looked  around  me. 

The  scene  was  a  striking  one.  Right  before  me, 
with  his  grey  head  on  the  table,  buried  in  his  pis 
catorial  paws,  lay  the  master  of  the  hutch,  fast 
asleep.  On  a  settle,  one  of  the  fishermen,  who  had 
been  a  devout  listener  to  all  the  legends  of  the 
grandson  of  the  veteran  of  Louisburgh,  was  in  a 
similar  condition ;  Bruce,  our  jolly  first  mate,  with 
the  pertinacity  of  his  race,  was  wide  awake,  to  be 
sure,  but  there  were  unmistakable  signs  of  drowsi 
ness  in  the  droop  of  his  eyelids  ;  and  Picton  ?  That 
gentleman,  buried  in  moose  and  cariboo  skins,  pros 
trate  on  a  broad  bench,  drawn  up  close  by  the  fire 
place,  was  dreaming,  probably,  of  sculpins,  floun 
ders,  fish-pugh,  and  dingledekooch ! 

"  I  say  !  wake  up  here  !"  said  the  jolly  mate  of 
the  Balaklava ;  bringing  his  fist  down  upon  the 
table  with  an  emphatic  blow,  that  roused  all  the 
sleepers  except  the  traveller.  "  I  say,  wake  up !" 
reiterated  Bruce,  shaking  Picton  by  the  shoulder. 
Then  Picton  raised  himself  from  his  couch,  and 
yawned  twice  ;  walked  to  the  table,  seated  himself 
on  a  bench,  thrust  his  fingers  through  his  black 
hair,  and  instantly  fell  asleep  again,  after  shaking 


134  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

out  into  the  close  atmosphere  of  the  hutch  a  stifling 
odor  of  animal  charcoal. 

"  A  little  straw  makes  a  great  reek,"  said  Bruce, 
laughing,  "  and  when  a  mon  gives  out  before  his 
pipe,  he  is  like  to  be  burnet,"  and  he  pointed  to  a 
long  black  and  brown  singe  on  the  worsted  com 
forter  of  the  traveller,  by  which  we  understood  that 
Picton  had  fallen  asleep,  pipe  in  mouth,  and  then 
dropped  his  lighted  dudeen  just  on  the  safest  part 
of  his  neck. 

Once  again  we  roused  the  sleeper  ;  and  so,  shak 
ing  hands  with  our  hospitable  host,  we  left  the  com 
fortable  hutch  at  Wolfe's  Landing,  and  were  soon 
on  our  way  to  the  jolly  little  schooner. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  135 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  other  side  of  the  Harbor — A  Foraging  Party — Disappointment 
— Twilight  at  Louisburgh — Long  Days  and  Early  Mornings — A 
Visit  and  View  of  an  Interior — A  Shark  Story — Picton  inquires 
about  a  Measure — Hospitality  and  the  Two  Brave  Boys — Pro 
posals  for  a  Trip  overland  to  Sydney. 

To  make  use  of  a  quaint  but  expressive  phrase, 
"it  is  patent  enough,"  that  travellers  are  likely  to 
consume  more  time  in  reaching  a  place  than  they 
are  apt  to  bestow  upon  it  when  found.  And,  I  am 
ashamed  to  say,  that  even  Louisburgh  was  not  an 
exception  to  this  general  truth ;  although*  perhaps 
certain  reasons  might  be  offered  in  extenuation  for 
our  somewhat  speedy  departure  from  the  precincts 
of  the  old  town.  First,  then,  the  uncertainty  of  a 
sailing  vessel,  for  the  "  Balaklava"  was  coquettishly 
courting  any  and  every  wind  that  could  carry  her 
out  of  our  harbor  of  refuge.  Next,  the  desire  of 
seeing  more  of  the  surroundings  of  the  ancient  for 
tress — the  batteries  on  the  opposite  side,  the  new 
town,  the  lighthouse,  and  the  wild  picturesque 
coast.  Add  to  these  the  wish  of  our  captain  to 


136  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

shift  his  anchorage,  to  get  on  the  side  where  he 
would  have  a  better  opening  towards  the  ocean, 
"  when  the  wind  came  on  to  blow," — to  say  nothing 
of  being  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  old  friends, 
whose  cottages  dotted  the  green  hill-sides  across  the 
bay,  as  you  looked  over  the  bows  of  the  jolly  little 
schooner.  And  there  might  have  been  other 
inducements — such  as  the  hope  of  getting  a  few 
pounds  of  white  sugar,  a  pitcher  of  milk  (delicious, 
lacteous  fluid,  for  which  we  had  yearned  so  often 
amid  the  briny  waves);  and  last,  but  not  least,  a 
hamper  of  blue-nosed  potatoes.  So,  when  the  shades 
of  the  second  evening  were  gathering  grandly 
and  gloomily  around  the  dismantled  parapets,  and 
Louisburgh  lay  in  all  the  lovely  and  romantic  light 
of  a  red  and  stormy  sunset,  it  seemed  but  fitting 
that  the  cable-chain  of  the  anchor  should  clank  to 
the  windlass,  and  the  die-away  song  of  the  mariner 
should  resound  above  the  calm  waters,  and  the  can 
vas  stretch,  towards  the  land  opposite,  that  seemed 
so  tempting  and  delectable.  And  presently  the 
"  Balaklava  "  bore  away  across  the  red  and  purple 
harbor  for  the  new  town,  leaving  in  her  wake  the 
ruined  walls  of  Louisburgh  that  rose  up  higher  the 
further  we  sailed  from  them. 

The  schooner  dropped  anchor  inside  the  little 
cove  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  old  town,  which 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  137 

the  reader  will  see  by  referring  to  the  map  ;  and 
the  old  battles  of  the  years  '45  and  '58  were  pre 
sently  forgotten  in  the  new  aspects  that  were  pre 
sented.  The  anchor  was  scarcely  dropped  fairly, 
before  the  yawl-boat  was  tinder  the  stroke  of  the 
oars,  and  Picton  and  I  en  route  for  the  store-house  ; 
the  general,  particular,  and  only  exchange  in  the 
whole  district  of  Louisburgh.  It  was  a  small  wood 
en  building  with  a  fair  array  of  tarpaulin  hats,  -oil 
skin  garments,  shelves  of  dry-goods  and  crockery, 
and  boxes  and  barrels,  such  as  are  usually  kept  by 
country  traders :  on  the  beach  before  it  were  the 
customary  flake  for  drying  fish,  the  brown  winged 
boats,  and  other  implements  of  the  fisheries. 

But  alas !  the  new  town,  that  looked  so  pastoral 
and  pleasant,  with  its  tender  slopes  of  verdure,  was 
not,  after  all,  a  Canaan,  flowing  with  milk  and  blue- 
nosed  potatoes.  Neither  was  there  white  sugar,  nor 
coffee,  nor  good  black  tea  there ;  the  cabin  of  the 
schooner  being  as  well  furnished  with  these  articles 
of  comfort  as  the  store-house  of  McAlpin,  towards 
which  we  had  looked  with  such  longing  eyes.  In 
deed,  I  would  not  have  cared  so  much  about  the  dis 
appointment  myself,  but  I  secretly  felt  sorry  for 
Picton,  who  went  rummaging  about  the  barrels  in 
search  of  something  to  eat  or  to  drink.  "  No  white 
sugar?"  said  the  traveller,  "  We  don't  have  white 


138  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

sugar  in  this  town"  was  the  answer.  "Nor  coffee  ?" 
"No,  Sir."  And  the  tea  had  the  same  flavor  of 
musty  hay,  with  which  we  were  so  well  acquainted. 
.At  last  Picton  stumbled  over  a  prize — a  bushel- 
basket  half-filled  with  potatoes,  whereat  he  raised  a 
bugle-note  of  triumph. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  a  gentleman  of  fine  edu 
cation,  a  traveller,  who  had  visited  the  famous  Eu 
ropean  capitals,  London,  Paris,  Rome,  Madrid, 
Vienna ;  who  had  passed  between  the  Pillars  of  Her 
cules,  and  voyaged  upon  the  blue  Mediterranean, 
far  as  the  Greek  Archipelago  ;  who  had  wandered 
through  the  galleries  of  the  Vatican,  and  mused 
within  the  courts  of  the  Alhambra ;  who  had  seen 
the  fire-works  on  the  carnival  dome  of  St.  Peter's, 
and  the  water- works  of  Versailles  ;  the  temples  of 
Athens,  and  the  Boboli  gardens  of  Florence ;  the 
sculptures  of  Praxiteles,  and  the  frescoes  of 
Raphael ;  should  exhibit  such  emotion  as  Picton 
exhibited,'  over  a  bushel-basket  only  half-filled  with 
small-sized  blue-nosed  tubers.  But  Picton  was  only 
a  man,  and  "  Homo  sum "  the  rest  of  the  sen 
tence  it  is  needless  to  quote.  I  saw  at  a  glance  that 
the  potatoes  were  cut  in  halves  for  planting ;  but 
Picton  was  filled  with  the  divine  idea  of  a  feast. 

m 

"  I  say,  we  want  a  peck  of  potatoes." 

"  A  peck  ?"    was  the  answer.     "  Why,  man,  1 


WITH     THE    BLUE    NOSES.  139 

wouldn't  sell  ye  my  seed-potatoes  at  a  guinea 
apiece." 

Here  was  a  sudden  let-down ;  a  string  of  the 
human  violin  snapped,  just  as  it  was  keyed  up 
to  tuning  point.  Slowly  and  sorrowfully  we  re 
gained  the  yawl  after  that  brief  and  bitter  experi 
ence,  and  a  few  strokes  of  the  oars  carried  us  to  the 
Bide  of  the  "  Balaklava." 

It  may  seem  absurd  and  trifling  to  dwell  upon 
such  slight  particulars  in  this  itinerary  of  a  month 
amtfhg  the  Blue  Noses  (as  our  brothers  of  Nova- 
Scotia  are  called) ;  but  to  give  a  correct  idea  of  this 
rarely-visited  part  of  the  world,  one  must  notice  the 
salient  points  that  present  themselves  in  the  course 
of  the  survey.  Louisburgh  would  speedly  become 
rich  from  its  fisheries,  if  there  were  sufficient  capi 
tal  invested  there  and  properly  used.  Halifax  is 
now  the  only  point  of  contact  between  it  and  the 
outside  world ;  Halifax  supplies  it  with  all  the  ne 
cessary  articles  of  life,  and  Halifax  .buys  all  the 
produce  of  its  fisheries.  Therefore*  Halifax  reaps 
all  the  profits  on  either  side,  both  of  buying  and 
selling,  in  all  not  amounting  to  much — as  the  mat 
ter  now  stands.  But  insomuch  as  the  sluggish 
blood  of  the  colonies  will  never  move  without  some 
quickening  impulse  from  exterior  sources,  and  as 
Louisburgh  is  only  ten  days'  sail,  under  canvas, 


140  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

from  New  York,  and  as  the  fisheries  there  would 
rapidly  grow  by  kindly  nurture  into  importance, 
it  does  seem  as  if  a  moderate  amount  of  capital  di 
verted  in  that  direction,  would  be  a  fortunate  in 
vestment,  both  for  the  investor  and  hardy  fishermen 
of  the  old  French  town. 

I  have  alluded  before  to  the  long  Acadian  twi 
lights,  the  tender  and  loving  leave-takings  between 
the  day  and  his  earth  ;  just  as  two  fond  and  .foolish 
young  people  separate  sometimes,  or  as  the  quaint 
old  poet  in  Britannia's  Pastorals  describes  it : 

"  Look  as  a  lover,  with  a  lingering  kiss, 
About  to  part  with  the  best  half  that's  his : 
Fain  would  he  stay,  but  that  he  fears  to  do  it, 
And  curseth  time  for  so  fast  hastening  to  it : 
Now  takes  his  leave,  and  yet  begins  anew 
To  make  less  vows  than  are  esteemed  true  : 
Then  says,  he  must  be  gone,  and  then  doth  find 
Something  he  should  have  spoke  that's  out  of  mind: 
A.  nd  while  he  stands  to  look  for1 1  in  her  eyes^ 
Their  sad,  sweet  glance  so  ties  his  faculties 
To  think  from  what  he  parts  that  he  is  now 
As  far  from  leaving  her,  or  knowing  howt 
As  when  he  came  ;  begins  his  former  strain, 
To  kiss,  to  vow,  and  take  his  leave  again  ; 
Then  turns,  comes  back,  s'ghs,  pants,  and  yet  doth  go, 
Fain  to  retire,  and  loth  to  leave  her  so." 

Even  so  these  fond  and  foolish  old  institutions  part 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  141 

company  in  northern  regions,  and,  at  the  early  hour 
of  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  amorous  twilight 
reappears  in  his  foggy  mantle,  to  look  at  the  fair 
face  of  his  ancient  sweetheart  in  the  montli  of 
June. 

Tea  being  over,  the  "  cluck  "  of  the  row-locks 
woke  the  echoes  of  the  twilight  bay,  as  our  little 
yawl  put  off  again  for  the  new  town,  with  a  gay 
evening  party,  consisting  of  the  captain,  his  lady, 
the  baby,  Picton  and  myself,  with  a  brace  of  New 
foundland  oarsmen.  If  our  galley  was  not  a  stately 
one,  it  was  at  least  a  cheerful  vessel,  and  as  the 
keel  grated  on  the  snow-white  pebbles  of  the  beach, 
Picton  and  I  sprang  ashore,  with  all  the  gallantry 
of  a  couple  of  Sir  Walter  Raleighs,  to  assist  the 
queen  of  the  "  Balaklava  "  upon  terra  firma.  Her 
majesty  being  landed,  we  made  a  royal  procession 
to  the  largest  hutch  on  the  green  slope  before  us, 
the  captain  carrying  the  insignia  of  his  marital 
office  (the  baby)  with  great  pomp  and  awkward 
ceremony,  in  front,  while  his  lady,  Picton  and  I, 
loitered  in  the  rear.  "We  had  barely  crossed  the 
sill  of  the  hutch-door,  before  we  felt  quite  at  home 
and  welcome.  The  same  cheery  fire  in  the  chim 
ney-place,  the  spotless  floor,  the  tidy  rush-bottomed 
chairs,  and  a  whole  nest  of  little  white-heads  and 
twinkling  eyes,  just  on  the  border  of  a  bright  patch- 


142  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

work  quilt,  was  invitation  enough,  even  if  we  had 
not  been  met  at  the  threshold  by  the  master  himself, 
who  stretched  out  his  great  arms  with  a  kind, 
"  Come-in-and-how-are-ye-all." 

And  what  a  wonderful  evening  we  passed  in  that 
other  hutch,  before  the  blazing  hearth-fire  !  What 
stories  of  wrecks  and  rescues,  of  icebergs  and 
whales,  of  fogs  and  fisheries,  of  domestic  lobsters 
that  brought  up  their  little  families,  in  the  mouths 
of  the  sunken  cannon  of  the  French  frigates ;  of  the 
great  sharks  that  were  sometimes  caught  in  the 
meshes  of  the  set-nets!  "There  was  one  shark," 
said  our  host,  another  old  fisherman,  who,  by  the 
way,  wore  a  red  skull-cap  like  a  cardinal,  and  had  a 
habit  of  bobbing  his  head  as  he  spoke,  so  as  to  put 
one  continually  in  mind  of  a  gigantic  woodpecker — 
"  there  was  one  shark  I  mind  particular.  My  two 
boys  and-  me  was  hauling  in  the  net,  and  soon  as  I 
felt  it,  says  I,  '  Boys,  here's  something  more  than 
common.'  So  we  all  hauled  away,  and  O  my! 
didn't  the  water  boil  when  he  come  up  ?  Such  a 
time  !  Fortnatly,  he  come  up  tail  first.  LORD,  if 
he'd  a  come  up  head  first  he'd  a  bit  the  boat  in  two 
at  one  bite  !  He  was  all  hooked  in,  and  twisted  up 
with  the  net.  I  s'pose  he  had  forty  hooks  in  him  ; 
and  when  he  got  his  head  above  water,  he  was  took 
sick,  and  such  a  time  as  he  had !  He  must  a' 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  143 

vomited  up  about  two  barrels  of  bait — true  as  I  set 
here.  Well,  as  soon  as  he  got  over  that,  then  he 
tried  to  get  his  head  around  to  bite !  LORD,  if  he'd 
got  his  head  round,  he'd  a  bit  the  boat  in  two,  and 
we  had  it  right  full  of  fish,  for  we'd  been  out  all  day 
with  hand-lines.  He  had  a  nose  in  front  of  his  gills 
just  like  a  duck,  only  it  was  nigh  upon  six  feet 
long." 

"It  must  have  been  a  shovel-nose  shark,"  said 
Picton. 

"That's  what  a  captain  of  a  coaster  told  me," 
replied  Red-Cap  ;  "  he  said  it  must  a  been  a  shovel- 
nose.  If  he'd  only  got  that  shovel-nose  turned 
around,  he'd  a  shovelled  us  into  eternity,  fish  and 
all." 

"  What  prevented  him  getting  his  head  around  '<" 
said  Picton. 

"  Why,  sir,  I  took  two  half-hitches  round  his  tail, 
soon  as  I  see  him  come  up.  And  I  tell  ye  when  I 
make  two  half-hitches,  they  hold ;  ask  captain 
there,  if  I  can't  make  hitches  as  will  hold.  What 
say,  captain?" 

Captain  assented  with  a  confirmatory  nod. 

"  What  did  you  do  then  ?"  said  Picton.  "  Did 
you  get  him  ashore?" 

"  Get  him  ashore  ?"  muttered  Red-Cap,  covering 
his  mouth  with  one  broad  .brown  hand  to  muffle  a 


144  A  C  A  D  I  A ,     OR    A    MONTH 

contemptuous  laugh ;  "  get  him  ashore  !  why,  we 
was  pretty  well  off  shore  for  such  a  sail." 

"You  might  have  rowed  him  ashore,"  said 
Picton. 

"Kowed  him  ashore?"  echoed  Bed-Cap,  with 
another  contemptuous  smile  under  the  brown  hand ; 
"  rowed  him  ashore  ?" 

The  traveller,  finding  he  was  in  deep  water,  an 
swered  :  "  Yes;  that  is,  if  you  were  not  too  far  out." 

"  A  little  too  far  out,"  replied  Bed-Cap ;  "  why  if 
I  had  been  a  hundred  yards  only  from  shore,  it 
would  ha'  been  too  far  to  row,  or  sail  in,  with  that 
shovel-nose,  without  counting  the  set-nets." 

"And  what  did  you  do?"  said  Picton,  a  little 
nettled. 

"  Why,"  said  Bed-Cap,  "I  had  to  let  him  go,  but 
first  I  cut  out  his  liver,  and  that  I  did  bring  ashore, 
although  it  filled  my  boat  pretty  well  full.  You 
can  judge  how  big  it  was  :  after  I  brought  it  ashore 
I  lay  it  out  on  the  beach  and  we  measured  it,  Mr. 
McAlpin  and  me,  and  he'll  tell  you  so  too  ;  we  laid 
it  out  on  the  beach,  that  ere  liver,  and  it  measured 
seventeen  feet,  and  then  we  didn't  measure  all  of  it." 

"  What  under  heaven,  was  the  reason  you  didn't 
measure,  all  of  "it?"  said  Picton. 

"  Well,"  replied  Bed-Cap,  "  because  we  hadn't  a 
measure  long  enough." 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  145 

Meantime  the  good  lady  of  the  hutch  was  busy 
arranging  some  tumblers  on  the  table,  and  to  our 
great  surprise  and  delight  a  huge  yellow  pitcher  of 
milk  soon  made  its  appearance,  and  immediately 
after  an  old-fashioned  iron  bake-pan,  with  an  upper 
crust  of  live  embers  and  ashes,  was  lifted  off  the 
chimney  trammel,  and  when  it  was  opened,  the 
fragrance  of  hot  ginger-bread  filled  the  apartment. 
Then  Red-Cap  bobbed  away  at  a  corner  cupboard, 
until  he  extracted  therefrom  a  small  keg  or  runlet 
of  St.  Croix  rum  of  most  ripe  age  and  choice  flavor, 
some  of  which,  by  an  adroit  and  experienced  crook 
of  the  elbow,  he  managed  to  insinuate  into  the  milk, 
which,  with  a  little  brown  sugar,  he  stirred  up 
carefully  and  deliberately  with  a  large  spoon,  Pic- 
ton  and  I  watching  the  proceedings  with  intense  in 
terest.  Then  the  punch  was  poured  out  and  handed 
around  ;  while  the  good  wife  made  little  trips  from 
guest  to  guest  with  a  huge  platter  filled  with  the 
brown  and  fragrant  pieces  of  the  cake,  fresh  from 
the  bake-pan.  And  so  the  baby  having  subsided 
(our  baby  of  the  "  Balaklava "),  and  the  twilight 
having  given  place  to  a  grand  moon-light  on  the 
bay,  and  the  fire  sending  out  its  beams  of  warmth 
and  happiness,  glittering  on  the  utensils  of  the 
dresser,  and  tenderly  touching  with  rosy  light  the 
cheeks  of  the  small,  white-headed  fishermen  on  the 

7 


146  AC ADI A,     OR    A    MONTH 

margin  of  the  patch-work  quilt ;  while  there  was  no 
lack  of  punch  and  hospitality  in  the  yellow  pitcher, 
who  shall  say  that  we  were  not  as  well  off  in  the 
fisherman's  hutch  as  in  a  grand  saloon,  surrounded 
with  frescoes,  and  flunkeys,  and  served  with  thin 
lemonade  upon  trays  of  silver  ? 

I  do  not  know  wrhy  it  is,  but  there  always  has 
been  something  very  attractive  to  me  in  the  faces 
of  children  ;  I  love  to  read  the  physiognomy  of  pos 
terity,  and  so  get  a  history  of  the  future  world  in 
miniature,  before  the  book  itself  is  fairly  printed. 
And  insomuch  as  Nova  Scotia  and  Newfoundland 
are  said  to  be  the  nurseries  of  England's  seamen,  it 
was  with  no  little  interest  that  I  caught  a  glimpse 
of  two  boys,  one  thirteen,  the  other  eleven  years 
old,  the  eldest  children  of  our  friend  Red-Cap. 

They  came  in  just  as  we  entered  the  hutch,  and 
quietly  seated  themselves  together  by  the  corner  of 
the  fire-place,  after  modestly  shaking  hands  with  all 
the  guests.  They  were  dressed  in  plain  home-spun 
clothes,  with  something  of  a  sailor  rig,  especially 
the  neat  check  shirts,  and  old-fashioned,  little,  low- 
quartered,  round-toed  shoes,  such  as  are  always  a 
feature  in  the  melo-drama  where  Jack  plays  a  part 
It  is  not  usual,  too,  to  see  such  stocky,  robust  frames 
as  these  fisher-boys  presented  ;  and  in  all  three,  in 
the  father  and  his  two  sons,  was  one  general,  pervad- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  147 

ing  idea  of  cleanliness  and  housewifery.  And  then, 
to  notice  the  physiognomy  again,  each  small  face, 
though  modest  as  that  of  no  girl  which  I  could  re 
call  at  the  moment,  had  its  own  tale  of  hardihood  to 
tell ;  there  was  a  something  that  recalled  the  open 
sea,  written  in  either  countenance ;  courage  and  en 
durance  ;  faith  and  self-reliance ;  the  compass  and 
the  rudder ;  speaking  plainly  out  under  each  little 
thatch  of  white  hair.  And  indeed,  as  we  found  out 
afterwards,  those  young  countenances  told  the  truth ; 
those  fisher-boys  were  Red-Cap's  'only  boat-crew. 
In  all  weathers,  in  all  seasons,  by  night  and  by  day, 
the  three  were  together,  the  parent  and  his  two 
children,  upon  the  perilous  deep. 

"  If  I  were  the  father  of  those  boys,"  I  whispered 
to  Eed-Cap,  "  I  would  be  proud  of  them." 

"Would  ye?"  said  he,  with  a  proud,  fatherly 
glance  towards  them;  "well,  I  thought  so  once  my- 
sel' ;  it  was  when  a  schooner  got  ashore  out  there 
on  the  rocks  ;  and  we  could  see  her,  just  under  the 
lights  of  the  lighthouse,  pounding  away ;  and  by 
reason  of  the  ice,  nobody  would  venture ;  so  my 
boys  said,  says  they,  i  Father,  we  can  go,  any  way.' 
So  I  wouldn't  stop  when  they  said  that,  and  so  we 
laid  beside  the  schooner  and  took  off  all  her  crew 
pretty  soon,  and  they  mostly  dead  writh  the  cold  ; 
but  it  was  an  awful  bad  night,  what  with  the  dark- 


14:8  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

ness  and  the  ice.  Yes,"  lie  added,  after  a  pause, 
"  they  are  good  boys  now  ;  but  they  won't  be  with 
me  many  years." 

"  And  why  not  ?"  I  inquired,  for  I  could  not  see 
that  the  young  Eed-Caps  exhibited  any  migratory 
signs  of  their  species  to  justify  the  remark. 

"Because  all  our  boys  go  to  the  States  just  as 
soon  as  they  get  old  enough." 

"  To  the  States !"  I  echoed  with  no  little  surprise; 
"  why,  I  thought  they  all  entered  the  British  Navy, 
or  something  of  that  kind." 

"  Lord  bless  ye,"  said  Red-Cap,  "  not  one  of 
them.  Enter  the  British  Navy  !  "Why,  man,  you 
get  the  whole  of  our  young  people.  What  would 
they  want  to  enter  the  British  Navy  for,  when  they 
can  enter  the  United  States  of  America  ?" 

"  The  air  of  Cape  Breton  is  certainly  favorable  to 
health,"  said  I,  in  a  whisper,  to  Pictpn ;  "  look,  for 
example,  at  the  mistress  of  the  hutch !"  and  so 
surely  as  I  have  a  love  of  womanity,  so  surely  I  in 
tended  to  convey  a  sentiment  of  admiration  in  the 
brief  words  spoken  to  Picton.  The  wife  of  Bonnet 
Rouge  was  at  least  not  young,  but  her  cheek  was 
smooth,  and  flushed  with  the  glow  of  health ;  her 
eyes  liquid  and  bright ;  her  hair  brown,  and  abun 
dant  ;  her  step  light  and  elastic.  Although  neither 
Picton,  captain,  or  anybody  else  in  the  hutch  would 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  14:9 

remind  one  of  the  Angel  Raphael,  yet  Mrs.  Red- 
Cap,  as 

"  With  dispatchful  looks,  in  haste 

She  turned,  on  hospitable  thoughts  intent," 

was  somewhat  suggestive  of  Eve ;  her  movements 
were  grand  and  simple ;  there  was  a  welcome  in 
her  face  that  dimpled  in  and  out  with  every  current 
topic ;  a  Miltonic  grandeur  in  her  air,  whether  she 
walked  or  waited.  I  could  not  help  but  admire 
her,  as  I  do  everything  else  noble  and  easily  under 
stood.  Mrs.  Red-Cap  was  a  splendid  woman  ;  the 
wife  of  a  fisherman,  with  an  unaffected  grace  be 
yond  the  reach  of  art,  in  poor  old  Louisburgh  was 
something  to  speak  of.  Picton  expressed  his  admi 
ration  in  stronger  and  profaner  language. 

We  were  not  the  only  guests  at  Red-Cap's.  The 
lighthouse  keeper,  Mr.  Kavanagh,  a  bachelor  and 
scholar,  with  his  sister,  had  come  down  to  take  a 
moonlight  walk  over  the  heather ;  for  in  new  Scot 
land  as  in  old  Scotland,  the  bonny  heather  blooms, 
although  not  so  much  familiarized  there  by  song 
and  story.  But  we  shall  visit  Lighthouse  Point 
anon,  and  spend  some  hours  with  the  two  Kava- 
naghs.  Forthright,  into  the  teeth  of  the  harbor,  the 
wind  is  blowing :  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it 
listeth,  and  thou  nearest  the  sound  therof,  but  canst 


150  A CAD  I A,     OR    A    MONTH 

not  tell  whence  it  cometh,  and  whither  it  goeth." 
How  long  the  "Balaklava"  may  stay  here  is  yet 
uncertain.  So,  with  a  good-night  to  the  Red-Caps 
and  their  guests,  we  once  more  bear  away  for  the 
cabin  of  the  schooner  and  another  night's  discom 
fort. 

As  I  have  said  before  in  other  words,  this  pro 
vince  is  nothing  more  than  a  piece  of  patchwork, 
intersected  with  petty  boundary  lines,  so  that  every 
nation  is  stitched  in  and  quilted  in  spots,  without 
any  harmony,  or  coherence,  or  general  design.  The 
people  of  Louisburgh  are  a  kind,  hospitable,  plea 
sant  people,  tolerably  well  informed  for  the  inha 
bitants  of  so  isolated  a  corner  of  the  world ;  but  a 
few  miles  further  off  we  come  upon  a  totally  differ 
ent  race  :  a  canting,  covenanting,  oat-eating,  money- 
griping,  tribe  of  second-hand  Scotch  Presbyte 
rians  :  a  transplanted,  degenerate,  barren  patch  of 
high  cheek-bones  and  red  hair,  with  nothing  cleav 
ing  to  them  of  the  original  stock,  except  covetous- 
ness  and  that  peculiar  cutaneous  eruption  for  which 
the  mother  country  is  celebrated.  But  we  shall 
soon  have  enough  of  these  Scotsmen,  good  reader. 
Our  present  visit  is  to  Lighthouse  Point,  to  look  out 
upon  the  broad  Atlantic,  the  rocky  coast,  and  the 
island  battery,  which  a  century  since  gave  so  much 
trouble  to  our  filibustering  fathers  of  New  England. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  151 

As  we  walked  towards  the  lighthouse  over  the 
pebbly  beach  that  borders  the  green  turf,  Picton 
suddenly  starts  off  and  begins  a  series  of  great 
jumps  on  the  turf,  giving  with  every  grasshopper- 
leap  a  sort  of  interjectional  "TVlmli!  whuh !"  as 
though  the  feat  was  not  confined  to  the  leg-muscles 
only,  but  included  also  a  necessary  exercise  of  the 
lungs.  And  although  we  shouted  at  the  traveller, 
he  kept  on  towards  the  lighthouse,  uttering  with 
every  jump,  "Heather,  heather."  At  last  he 
came  to,  beside  a  group  of  evergreens,  and  grew 
rational.  The  springy,  elastic  sod,  the  heather  of 
old  Scotland,  reproduced  in  new  Scotland,  had 
reminded  him  of  reels  and  strathspeys,  "for," 
said  he,  "  nobody  can  walk  upon  this  sort  of  thing 
without  feeling  a  desire  to  dance  upon  it.  Thun 
der  and  turf!  if  we  only  had  the  pipes  now  !" 

And  sure  enough  here  was  the  heather ;  the  soft, 
springy  turf,  which  has  made  even  Scotchmen  af 
fectionate.  I  do  not  wonder  at  it ;  it  answers  to  the 
foot-step  like  an  echo,  as  the  string  of  an  instrument 
answers  its  concord  ;  as  love  answers  love  in  unison. 
I  do  not  wonder  that  Scotchmen  love  the  heather  ; 
I  am  only  surprised  that  so  much  heather  should  be 
wasted  on  Scotchmen. 

We  had  anticipated  a  fine  marine  view  from  the 
lighthouse,  but  in  place  of  it  we  could  only  see  a 


152  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

sort  of  semi-luminous  vapor,  usually  called  a  fog, 
wMcli  enveloped  ocean,  island,  and  picturesque 
coast.  "We  could  not  discover  the  Island  Battery 
opposite,  which,  had  bothered  Sir  William  in  the 
siege  of  '45  ;  "but  nevertheless,  we  could  judge  of 
the  difficulty  of  reaching  it  with  a  hostile  force, 
screened  as  it  was  by  its  waves  and  vapors.  The 
lighthouse  is  striped  with  black  and  white  bars, 
like  a  zebra,  and  we  entered  it.  One  cannot  help 
but  admire  such  order  and  neatness,  for  the  light 
house  is  a  marvel  of  purity.  "We  were  everywhere — 
in  the  bed-rooms,  in  the  great  lantern  with  its  glitter 
ing  lamps,  in  the  hall,  the  parlor,  the  kitchen ; 
and  found  in  all  the  same  pervading  virtue ; 
as  fresh  and  sweet  as  a  bride  was  that  old  ze 
bra-striped  lighthouse.  The  Kavanahs,  brother 
and  sister,  live  here  entirely  alone ;  what  with 
books  and  music,  the  ocean,  the  ships,  and  the  sky, 
they  have  company  enough.  One  could  not  help 
liking  them,  they  have  such  cheerful  faces,  and  are 
BO  kind  and  hospitable.  Good  bye,  good  friends,  and 
peace  be  with  you  always !  On  our  route  schooner- 
ward  we  danced  back  over  the  heather,  Picton  with 
great  joy  carrying  a  small^  basket  filled  with  his  na 
tional  fruit — a  present  from  the  Kavanahs.  What 
a  feast  we  shall  have,  fresh  fish,  lobster,  and  above 
all — potatoes ! 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  153 

It  is-  a  novel  sight  to  see  the  firs  and  spruces  on 
this  stormy  sea-coast.  They  grow  out,  and  not  up  ; 
an  old  tree  spreading  over  an  area  of  perhaps  twen 
ty  feet  in  diameter,  with  the  inevitable  spike  of 
green  in  its  centre,  and  that  not  above  a  foot  and  a 
half  from  the  ground.  The  trees  in  this  region  are 
possessed  of  extraordinary  sagacity ;  they  know 
how  hard  the  wind  blows  at  times,  and  therefore 
put  forth  their  branches  in  full  squat,  just  like  coun 
try  girls  at  a  pic-nic. 

On  Sunday  the  wind  is  still  ahead,  and  Picton 
and  I  determine  to  abandon  the  "  Balaklava." 
How  long  she  may  yet  remain  in  harbor  is  a  mat 
ter  of  fate  ;  so,  with  brave,  resolute  hearts,  we  start 
off  for  a  five-mile  walk,  to  visit  McGibbet,  the  only 
owner  of  a  horse  and  wagon  in  the  vicinity  of 
Louisburgh.  Squirrels,  robins,  and  rabbits  appear 
and  disappear1  in  the  road  as  we  march  forwards. 
The  country  is  wild,  and  in  its  pristine  state ;  na 
ture  everywhere.  !N"ow  a  brook,  now  a  tiny  lake, 
and  "  the  murmuring  pines  and  the  hemlocks."  At 
last  we  arrive  at  the  house  of  McGibbet,  and  en 
counter  new  Scotland  in  all  its  original  brimstone 
and  oat-meal. 


1* 


154:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

A  Blue-Nosed  Pair  of  the  most  Cerulean  Hue — Prospects  of  a  Hard 
Bargain— Case  of  Necessity — Romantic  Lake  with  an  TJnroman- 
tic  Name — The  Discussion  concerning  Oatmeal — Danger  of  the 
Gasterophili — McGibbet  makes  a  Proposition — Farewell  to  the 
*'  Balaklava"— A  Midnight  Journey— Sydney— Boat  Excursion 
to  the  Mic  Macs — Picton  takes  off  his  Mackintosh. 

SOME  learned  philosopher  has  asserted  that  when 
a  person  has  become  accustomed  to  one  peculiar  kind 
of  diet,  it  will  be  expressed  in  the  lineaments  of  his 
face.  How  much  the  constant  use  of  oatmeal  could 
produce  such  an  effect,  was  plainly  visible  in  the 
countenances  of  McGibbet  and  his  lady-love.  Both 
had  an  unmistakable  equine  cast;  McGibbet,  wild, 
scraggy,  and  scrubby,  with  a  tuft  on  his  poll  that 
would  not  have  been  out  of  place  between  the  ears 
of  a  plough-horse,  stared  at  us,  just  as  such  an  animal 
would  naturally  over  the  top  of  a  fence  ;  while  his 
gentle  mate,  who  had  more  of  the  amiable  draught- 
horse  in  her  aspect,  winked  at  us  with  both  eyes 
from  under  a  close-crimped  frill,  that  bore  a  mar 
vellous  resemblance  to  a  head-stall.  The  pair  had 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  155 

evidently  just  returned  from  kirk.  To  say  nothing 
of  McGibbet's  hat,  and  his  wife's  shawl,  on  a  chair, 
and  his  best  boots  on  the  hearth  (for  he  was  walk 
ing  about  in  his  stockings),  there  was  a  dryprececse 
air  about  them,  which  plainly  betokened  they  were 
newly  stiffened  up  with  the  moral  starch  of  the  con 
venticle,  and  were  therefore  well  prepared  to  drive 
a  hard  bargain  for  a  horse  and  wagon  to  Sydney. 
But  what  surprised  me  most  of  all  was  the  imper 
turbable  coolness  of  Picton.  Without  taking  a  look 
scarcely  at  the  persons  he  was  addressing,  the  tra 
veller  stalked  in  with  an — "  I  say,  we  want  a  horse 
and  wagon  to  Sydney ;  so  look  sharp,  will  you,  and 
turn  out  the  best  thing  you  have  here  ?" 

The  moral  starch  of  the  conventicle  stiffened  up 
instantly.  Like  the  blacksmith  of  Cairn vreckan, 
who,  as  a  professor,  would  drive  a  nail  for  no  man 
on  the  Sabbath  or  kirk-fast,  unless  in  a  case  of  ab 
solute  necessity,  and  then  always  charged  an  extra 
saxpence  for  each  shoe  ;  so  it  was  plain  to  be  seen 
that  McGibbet  had  a  conscience  whic  required  to 
be  pricked  both  with  that  which  knows  i^  law,  and 
the  saxpence  extra.  He  turned  to  his  wife  ax.fl  ad 
dressed  her  in  Gaelic  !  Then  we  knew  what  was 
coming. 

Mrs.  McGibbet  opened  the  subject  by  saying  that 
they  were  both  accustomed  to  the  observance  of  the 


156  A  C  A  D  I  A  ,     OR    A    MONTH 

Sabbath,  and  that  "  slie  didn't  think  it  was  right  for 
man  to  transgress,  when  the  law  was  so  plain  " 

Here  McGibbet  broke  in  and  said  that — "  He 
was  free  to  confess  he  had  commeeted  a  grreat 
menny  theengs  kwhich  were  a  grreat  deal  worse 
than  Sabbath-breaking." 

Upon  which  Mrs.  McG.  interrupted  him  in  turn 
with  a  few  words,  which,  although  in  Gaelic,  a  lan 
guage  we  did  not  understand,  conveyed  the  impres 
sion  that  she  was  not  addressing  her  liege  lord  in 
the  language  of  endearment,  and  again  continued 
in  English  :  "  That  it  was  held  sinful  in  the  com 
munity  to  wark  or  do  anything  o'  the  sort,  or  to 
fetch  or  carry  even  a  sma  bundle  " 

"  For  kwich,"  said  McGibbet,  "  is  a  fine  to  be 
paid  to  the  meenister,  of  five  shillins  currency  " 

Here  Picton  stopped  whistling  a  bar  of  "  Bonny 
Doon,"  and  nodded  to  me :  "  About  a  dollar  of 
your  money.  We'll  pay  the  fine." 

"Yes,"  chimed'in  McGibbet,  "a  dollar" and 

was  again  stopped  by  his  wife,  who  raised  her  eye 
brows  to  the  borders  of  her  kirk-frill  and  brought 
them  down  vehemently  over  her  blue  eyes  at  him. 

"  Or  to  travel  the  road,"  she  said,  "  even  on  foot, 
to  say  nothing  of  a  wagon  and  horse." 

"But,"  interrupted  Picton,  "my  dear  ma 
dam,  we  must  get  on,  I  tell  you ;  I  must  be  in 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  157 

Sydney  to-morrow,  to  catch  the  steamer  for  St. 
John's." 

At  this  observation  of  the  traveller  the  pair  fell 
back  upon  their  Gaelic  for  a  while,  and  in  the  mean 
time  Picton  whispered  me  :  "  I  see  ;  they  want  to 
raise  the  price  on  us :  but  we  won't  give  in ;  they'll 
be  sharp  enough  after  the  job  by  and  by." 

The  pair  turned  towards  us  and  both  shook  their 
heads.  It  was  plain  to  be  seen  the  conference  had 
not  ended  in  our  favor. 

"  Ye  see,"  said  the  gude-wife,  "  we  are  accus 
tomed  to  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  would 
na  like  to  break  it,  except " 

"  In  a  case  of  necessity  ;  you  are  perfectly  right," 
chimed  in  Picton  ;  "  I  agree  with  you  myself. 
Now  this  is  a  case  of  necessity ;  here  we  are ;  we 
must  get  on,  you  see ;  if  we  don't  get  on  we  miss 
the  steamer  to-morrow  for  St.  John's — she  only  runs 
once  a  fortnight  there — it's  plain  enough  a  clear 
case  of  necessity ;  it's  like,"  continued  Picton,  evi 
dently  trying  to  corner  some  authority  in  his  mind, 
"it's  like — let  me  see — it's  like — a — pulling — a 
sheep  out  of  a  ditch — a — w^liich  they  always  do  on 
the  Sabbath,  you  know,  to  a — get  us  on  to  Syd 
ney." 

Both  McGibbet  and  his  wife  smiled  at  Picton'a 
ingenuity,  but  straightway  put  on  the  equine  look 


158  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

again.  "  It  might  be  so ;  but  it  was  clean  contrary 
to  their  preenciples." 

"  I'll  be  hanged,"  whispered  Picton,  "  if  I  offer 
more  than  the  usual  price,  which  I  heard  at  Louis- 
burgh  was  one  pound  ten,  to  Sydney,  and  the  fine 
extra.  I  see  what  they  are  after." 

There  was  an  awkward  pause  in  the  negotiations. 
McGibbet  scratched  his  poll,  and  looked  wistfully 
at  his  wife,  but  the  kirk-frill  was  stiffened  up  with 
the  moral  starch,  as  aforesaid. 

Suddenly,  Picton  looked  out  of  the  window.  "  By 
Jove !"  said  he,  "  I  think  the  wind  is  changed ! 
After  all,  we  may  get  around  in  the  'Balaklava.' j: 

McGibbet  looked  somewhat  anxiously  out  of  the 
window  also,  and  grunted  out  a  little  more  Gaelic 
to  his  love.  The  kirk-frill  relented  a  trifle. 

"  Perhaps  the  gentlemen  wad  like  a  glass  of  milk 
after  thae  long  walk  ?  and  Robert"  (which  she  pro 
nounced  Robbut),  "  a  bit  o'  the  corn-cake." 

Upon  which  Robbut,  with  great  alacrity,  turned 
towards  the  bed-room,  from  whence  he  brought 
forth  a  great  white  disk,  that  resembled  the  head 
of  a  flour-barrel,  but  which  proved  to  be  a  full- 
grown  griddle  cake  of  corn-meal.  This,  with  the 
pure  milk,  from  the  cleanest  of  scoured  pans,  was 
acceptable  enough  after  the  long  walk. 

"We  had  observed  some  beautiful  streams,  and 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  159 

blue  glimpses  of  lakes  on  the  road  to  McGibbet's, 
and  just  beyond  his  house  was  a  larger  lake,  several 
miles  in  extent,  with  picturesque  hills  on  either 
side,  indented  with  coves,  and  studded  with  islands, 
sometimes  stretching  away  to  distant  slopes  of  green 
turf,  and  sometimes  reflecting  masses  of  precipitous 
rock,  crowned  with  the  spiry  tops  of  spruces  and 
firs.  Indeed,  all  the  country  around,  both  meadow 
and  upland,  was  very  pleasing  to  the  sight.  A  low 
range  of  hills  skirted  the  northern  part  of  what 
seemed  to  be  a  spacious,  natural  amphitheatre, 
while  on  the  south  side  a  diversity  of  highlands  and 
water  added  to  the  whole  the  charm  of  variety. 

"  You  have  a  fine  country  about  you,  Mr.  McGib- 
bet,"  said  I. 

"  Ay,"  he  replied. 

"  And  what  is  it  called  here  ?" 

"  We  ca'  it  Get- Along  I"  said  Eobbut,  with  an 
intensely  Scotch  accent  on  the  "  Get." 

"  And  yonder  beautiful  lake — what  is  the  name 
of  that  ?"  said  I,  in  hopes  of  taking  refuge  behind 
something  more  euphonious. 

"Oh!  ay,"  replied  he,  "that's  just  Get-Along, 
too.  We  doan't  usually  speak  of  it,  but  whan  we 
do,  we  just  ca'  it  Get- Along  Lake,  and  it's  not  good 
for  much." 

I  thought  it  best  to  change  the  subject.     "Do 


160  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

you  like  tins  as  well  as  the  oat-cake  ?"  said  I,  with 
my  mouth  full  of  the  dry,  husky  provender. 

"  Nae,"  said  McGibbet,  with  an  equine  shake  of 
the  head,  "  it's  not  sae  fellin." 

Not  so  filling !  Think  of  that,  ye  pampered  min 
ions  of  luxury,  who  live  only  upon  delicate  viands ; 
who  prize  food,  not  as  it  is  useful,  but  as  it  is  tasteful ; 
who  can  even  encourage  a  depraved,  sensual  appetite 
so  far  as  to  appreciate  flavor ;  who  enjoy  meats,  fish, 
and  poultry,  only  as  they  minister  to  your  palates  ; 
who  flirt  with  spring-chickens  and  trifle  with  sweet 
breads  in  wanton  indolence,  without  a  thought  of 
your  cubic  capacity ;  without  a  reflection  that  you 
can  live  just  as  well  upon  so  many  square  inches  of 
oatmeal  a  day  as  you  can  upon  the  most  elaborate 
French  kickshaws ;  nay,  that  you  can  be  elevated 
to  the  level  of  a  scientific  problem,  and  work  out 
your  fillings,  with  nothing  to  guide  you  but  a  slate 
and  pencil ! 

"Then  you  like  oatmeal  better  than  this?"  said 
Picton,  soothing  down  a  husky  lump,  with  a  cup 
of  milk. 

"  Ay,"  responded  McGibbet. 

"  And  you  always  eat  it,  whenever  you  can  get 
it,  I  suppose  ?"  continued  Picton,  with  a  most  inno 
cent  air. 

"  Ay,"  responded  McGibbet. 


.       WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  161 

"  I  should  think  some  of  you  Scotchmen  would 
be  afraid  of  contracting  a  disease  that  is  engendered 
in  the  system  by  the  use  of  this  sort  of  grain.  I 
hope,  Mr.  McGibbet,"  said  Picton,  with  imperturba 
ble  coolness,  "  you  keep  clear  of  the  bots,  and  that 
sort  of  thing,  you  know  ?" 

"  Kwat  ?"  said  Eobbut,  with  the  most  startled, 
horse-like  look  he  had  yet  put  on. 

"The  gasterophili,"  replied  Picton,  "which  I 
would  advise  you  to  steer  clear  of,  if  you  want  to 
live  long." 

As  this  was  a  word  with  too  many  gable-ends  for 
Kobbut's  comprehension,  he  only  responded  by  giv 
ing  such  a  smile  as  a  man  might  be  expected  to  give 
who  had  his  mouth  full  of  aloes,  and  as  the  con 
versation  was  wandering  off  from  the  main  point,  ad 
dressed  himself  to  Mrs.  McG.  in  the  vernacular  again. 

"  We  would  like  to  obleege  ye,"  said  the  lady, 
"  if  it  was  not  for  .the  transgression  ;  and  we  do  na 
like  to  break  the  Sabbath  for  ony  man." 

"  Although,"  interposed  Eobbut,  "  I  am  free  to 
confess  that  I  have  done  a  great  many  things  worse 
than  breakin'  the  Sabbath." 

"  But  if  to-morrow  would  do  as  well,"  resumed 
his  wife,  "  Robbut  would  take  ye  to  Sydney." 

To  this  Picton  shook  his  head.  "  Too  late  for  the 
steamer." 


162  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

"  Or  to-night ;  I  wad  na  mind  that,"  said  the 
pious  Robbut,  "if  it  was  after  dark,  and  that  will 
bring  ye  to  Sydney  before  the  morn." 

"  That  will  do,"  said  Picton,  slapping  his  thigh. 
"  Lend  us  your  horse  and  wagon  to  go  down  to  the 
schooner  and  get  our  luggage  ;  we  will  be  back  this 
evening,  and  then  go  on  to  Sydney,  eh  ?  That  will 
do ;  a  ride  by  moonlight ;"  and  the  traveller  jumped 
up  from  his  seat,  walked  with  great  strides  towards 
the  fire-place,  turned  his  back  to  the  blaze,  hung  a 
coat-tail  over  each  arm,  and  whistled  "Annie 
Laurie"  at  Mrs.  McGibbet. 

The  suggestion  of  Picton  meeting  the  views  of  all 
concerned,  the  diplomacy  ended.  E-obbut  put  him 
self  in  his  Sunday  boots,  and  hitched  up  a  spare  rib 
of  a  horse  before  a  box-wagon  without  springs, 
which  he  brought  before  the  door  with  great  com 
placency.  The  traveller  and  I  were  soon  on  the 
ground-floor  of  the  vehicle,  seated  upon  a  log  of 
wood  by  way  of  cushion  ;  and  with  a  chirrup  from 
McGibbet,  off  we  went.  At  the  foot  of  the  first 
hill,  our  horse  stopped ;  in  vain  Picton  jerked  at 
the  rein,  and  shouted  at  him :  not  a  step  further 
would  he  go,  until  Eobbut  himself  came  down  to 
the  rescue.  "  Get  along,  Boab  !"  said  his  master  ; 
and  Bob,  with  a  mute,  pitiful  appeal  in  his  counte 
nance,  turned  his  face  towards  salt-water.  At  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  163 

foot  of  the  next  hill  he  stopped  again,  when  the 
irascible  Picton  jumped  out,  and  with  one  powerful 
twitch  of  the  bridle,  gave  Boab  such  a  hint  to  "  get 
on,"  that  it  nearly  jerked  his  head  off.  And  Boab 
did  get  on,  only  to  stop  at  the  ascent  of  the  next 
hill.  Then  we  began  to  understand  the  tactics  of 
the  animal.  Boab  had  been  the  only  conveyancer 
between  Louisburgh  and  Sydney  for  many  years, 
and,  as  he  was  usually  over-burdened,  made  a  point 
to  stop  at  the  up  side  of  every  hill  on  the  road,  to 
let  part  of  his  freight  get  out  and  walk  to  the  top  of 
the  acclivity  with  him.  So,  by  way  of  compromise, 
we  made  a  feint  of  getting  out  at  every  rise  of 
ground,  and  Boab,  who  always  turned  his  head 
around  at  each  stopping-place,  seemed  to  be  satis 
fied  with  the  observance  of  the  ceremony,  and 
trotted  gaily  forward.  At  last  we  came  to  a  place 
we  had  named  Sebastopol  in  the  morning — a  great 
sharp  edge  of  rock  as  high  as  a  man's  waist,  that 
cut  the  road  in  half,  over  which  we  lifted  the  wa 
gon,  and  were  soon  in  view  of  the  bright  little  har 
bor  and  the  "  Balaklava  "  at  anchor.  Mr.  McAlpin 
kindly  gave  quarters  to  our  steed  in  his  out-house, 
and  offered  to  raise  a  signal  for  the  schooner  to  send 
a  boat  ashore.  As  he  was  Deputy  United  States 
Consul,  and  as  I  was  tired  of  the  red-cross  of  St, 
George,  I  asked  him  to  hoist  his  consular  flag.  Up 


164:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

to  the  flag-staff  truck  rose  the  roll  of  white  and  red 
worsted,  then  uncoiled,  "blew  out,  and  the  blessed 
stars  and  stripes  were  waving  over  me.  It  is  sur 
prising  to  think  how  transported  one  can  be  some 
times  with  a  little  bit  of  bunting ! 

And  now  the  labor  of  packing  commenced,  of 
which  Picton  had"  the  greatest  share  by  far  ;  the  lit 
tle  cabin  of  the  schooner  was  pretty  well  spread  out 
with  his  traps  on  every  side  ;  and  this  being  ended, 
Picton  got  out  his  travelling-organ  and  blazed  away 
in  &  finale  of  great  tunes  and  small,  sometimes  fast, 
sometimes  slow,  as  the  humor  took  him.  After  all, 
we  parted  from  the  jolly  little  craft  with  regret : 
our  trunks  were  lowered  over  the  side  ;  we  shook 
hands  with  all  on  board ;  and  were  rowed  in  silence 
to  the  land. 

I  have  had  some  experience  in  travelling,  and 
have  learned  to  bear  with  ordinary  firmness  and 
philosophy  the  incidental  discomforts-  one  is  certain 
to  meet  with  on  the  road ;  but  I  must  say,  the  dis 
cipline  already  acquired  had  not  prepared  me  for 
the  unexpected  appearance  of  our  wagon  after  Pic- 
ton's  luggage  was  placed  in  it.  First,  two  solid 
English  trunks  of  sole-leather  filled  the  bottom  of 
the  vehicle ;  then  the  traveller's  Minie-rifle,  life- 
preserver,  strapped-up  blankets,  and  hand-bag  were 
stuffed  in  the  sides :  over  these  again  were  piled  my 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  165 

trunk  and  the  traveller's  valise  (itself  a  monster  of 
straps  and  sole-leather);  then  again  his  portable-se 
cretary  and  the  hand-organ  in  a  box.  These  made 
such  a  pyramid  of  luggage,  that  riding  ourselves 
was  out  of  the  question.  "What  with  the  trunks  and 
the  cordage  to  keep  them  staid,  our  wagon  looked 
like  a  ship  of  the  desert.  To  crown  all,  it  began  to 
rain  steadily.  "  Now,  then,"  said  Picton,  climbing 
up  on  his  confounded  travelling  equipage,  "  let's 
get  on."  With  some  difficulty  I  made  a  half-seat 
on  the  corner  of  my  own  trunk ;  Picton  shouted 
out  at  Boab;  the  Newfoundland  sailors  who  had 
brought  us  ashore,  put  their  shoulders  to  the  wheels^ 
and  away  we  went,  waving  our  hats  in  answer  to 
the  hearty  cheers  of  the  sailors.  It  was  down  hill 
from  McAlpin's  to  the  first  bridge,  and  so  far  we 
had  nothing  to  care  for,  except  to  keep  a  look-out 
we  were  not  shaken  off  our  high  perch.  But  at  the 
foot  of  the  first  hill  Boab  stopped !  In  vain  Picton 
shouted  at  him  to  get  on  ;  in  vain  he  shook  rein  and 
made  a  feint  of  getting  down  from  the  wagon. 
Boab  was  not  intractable,  but  he  was  sagacious ;  he 
had  been  fed  on  that  sort  of  chaff  too  long.  Picton 
and  I  were  obliged  to  humor  his  prejudices,  and 
dismount  in  the  mud,  and  after  one  or  two  feeble 
attempts  at  a  ride,  gave  it  up,  walked  down  hill  and 
up,  lifted  the  wagon  by  inches  over  Sebastopol,  and 


166  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

finally  arrived  at  McGib  bet's,  wet,  tired,  and  hun 
gry.  That  Sabbath-broker  received  us  with  a  grim 
smile  of  satisfaction,  put  on  the  half-extinguished 
fire  the  smallest  bit  of  wood  he  could  find  in  the 
pile  beside  the  hearth,  and  then  went  away  with 
Boab  to  the  stable.  "  Gloomy  prospects  ahead, 
Picton !"  The  traveller  said  never  a  word. 

Now  I  wish  to  record  here  this,  that  there  is  no 

place,  no  habitation  of  man,  however  humble,  that 

cannot  be  lighted  up  with  a  smile  of  welcome,  and 

the  good  right-hand  of  hospitality,  and  made  clieer- 

.ful  as  a  palace  hung  with  the  lamps  of  Aladdin ! 

McGibbet,  after  leading  his  beast  to  the  stable, 
returned,  and  warming  his  wet  hands  at  the  fire, 
grunted  out ;  "  It  rains  the  nigcht." 

"  Yes,"  answered  Picton,  hastily,  "  rains  like  blue 
blazes :  I  say,  get  us  a  drop  of  whisky,  will  you  ?" 

To  this  the  equine  replied  by  folding  his  hands 
one  over  the  other  with  a  saintly  look.  "  I  never 
keep  thae  thing  in  the  hoose." 

"Picton,"  said  I,  "if  we  could  only  unlash  our 
luggage,  I  have  a  bottle  of  capital  old  brandy  in  my 
trunk,  but  it's  too  much  trouble." 

"  Oh !  na,"  quoth  Robbut  with  a  most  accommo 
dating  look,  "  it  will  be  nae  trooble  to  get  to  it." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Picton,  "look  sharp,  will 
you?"  and  our  host,  with  great  swiftness,  moved  off 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  107 

to  tlie  wagon,  and  very  soon  returned  with  the 
trunk  on  his  shoulder,  according  to  directions. 

"But,"  said  I,  taking  out  the  bottle  of  precious 
fluid,  "  here  it  is,  corked  up  tight,  and  what  is  to  be 
done  for  a  cork-screw  ?" 

"  I've  got  one,"  said  the  saint. 

"  I  thought  it  was  likely,"  quoth  Picton,  drily ; 
"  look  sharp,  will  you  ?" 

And  Eobbut  did  look  sharp,  and  produced  the 
identical  instrument  before  Picton  and  I  had  ex 
changed  smiles.  Then  Robbut  spread  out  three 
green  tumblers  on  the  table,  and  following  Picton's 
lead,  poured  out  a  stout  half-glass,  at  which  1 
shouted  out,  "  Hold  up !"  for  I  thought  he  was  fil 
ling  the  tumbler  for  my  benefit.  It  proved  to  be  a 
mistake ;  Robbut  stopped  for  a  moment,  but  in 
stantly  recovering  himself,  covered  the  tumbler 
with  his  four  fingers,  and,  to  use  a  Western  phrase, 
ugot  outside  of  the  contents  quicker  than  light 
ning."  Then  he  brought  from  his  bed-room  a 
coarse  sort  of  worsted  horse-blanket,  and  with  a 
"Ye'll  naay-be  like  to  sleep  an  hour  or  twa?" 
threw  down  his  family-quilt  and  retired  to  the  arms 
of  Mrs.  McG.  Picton  gave  a  great  crunching  blow 
with  his  boot-heel  at  the  back-stick,  and  laid  on  a 
good  supply  of  fuel.  We  were  wet  through  and 
through,  but  we  wrapped  ourselves  in  our  travel- 


168  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

ling-blankets  like  a  brace  of  clansmen  in  their 
plaids,  put  our  feet  towards  the  niggardly  blaze, 
and  were  soon  bound  and  clasped  with  sleep. 

At  two  o'clock  our  host  roused  us  from  our  hard 
bed,  and  after  a  stretch,  to  get  the  stiffness  out  of 
joints  and  muscles,  we  took  leave  of  the  Presbyte 
rian  quarters.  The  day  was  just  dawning:  at  this 
early  hour,  lake  and  hill-side,  tree  and  thicket,  were 
barely  visible  in  the  grey  twilight.  The  wagon, 
with  its  pyramid  of  luggage,  moved  off  in  the  rain, 
McGibbet  walking  beside  Boab,  and  Picton  and  I 
following  after,  with  all  the  gravity  of  chief  mour 
ners  at  a  funeral.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  road 
we  were  upon,  let  it  be  understood,  it  had  once 
been  an  old  French  military  road,  which,  after  the 
destruction  of  the  fortress  of  Louisburgh,  had  been 
abandoned  to  the  British  Government  and  the  ele 
ments.  As  a  consequence,  it  was  embroidered  with 
the  ruts  and  gullies  of  a  century,  the  washing  of 
rains,  and  the  tracks  of  wagons ;  howbeit,  the  only 
traverse  upon  it  in  later  years  were  the  wagon  of 
McGibbet  and  the  saddle-horse  of  the  post-rider. 
"  Get- Along "  had  a  population  of  seven  hundred 
Scotch  Presbyters,  and  therefore  it  will  be  easy  to 
understand  the  condition  of  its  turnpike. 

Up  hill  and  down  hill,  through  slough  and  over 
rock,  we  trudged,  for  mile  after  mile.  Sometimes 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  ,169 

beside  Get- Along  Lake,  with  its  grey,  -spectral 
islands  and  woodlands ;  sometimes  by  rushing 
brooks  and  dreary  farm-fields ;  now  in  paths  close 
set  with  evergreens ;  now  in  more  open  grounds, 
skirted  with  hills  and  dotted  with  silent,  two-penny 
cottages.  Sometimes  Picton  mounted  his  pyramid  of 
trunk-leather  for  a  mile  or  so  of  nods;  sometimes  I  es 
sayed  the  high  perch,  and  holding  on  by  a  cord,  drop 
ped  off  in  a  moment's  forgetfulness,  with  the  con 
stant  fear  of  waking  up  in  a  mud-hole,  or  under  the 
wagon-wheels.  But  even  these  respites  were  brief. 
It  is  not  easy  to  ride  up  hill  and  down  by  rock  and 
rut,  under  such  conditions.  We  were  very  soon  con 
vinced  it  was  best  to  leave  the  wagon  to  its  load  of 
sole-leather,  and  walk  through  the  mud  to  Sydney. 
After  mouldy  Halifax,  and  war-worn  Louisburgh, 
the  little  town  of  Sydney  is  a  pleasant  rural  picture. 
Everybody  has  heard  of  the  Sydney  coal-mines :  we 
expected  to  find  the  miner's  finger-marks  every 
where  ;  but  instead  of  the  smoky,  sulphurous 
atmosphere,  and  the  black  road,  and  the  sulky, 
grimy,  brick  tenements,  we  were  surprised  with 
clean,  white,  picket-fences;  and  green  lawns,  and 
clever,  little  cottages,  nestled  in  shrubbery  and  clo 
ver.  The  mines  are  over  the  bay,  five  miles  from 
South  Sydney.  Slowly  we  dragged  on,  until  we 
came  to  a  sleepy  little  one-story  inn,  with  superna- 


170  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

tural  dortner  windows  rising  out  of  the  roof,  before 
which  Boab  stopped.  We  paid  McGibbet's  kirk- 
fine,  wagon-fare,  and  his  unconscionable  charge  for 
his  conscience,  without  parleying  with  him ;  we 
were  too  sleepy  to  indulge  in  the  luxury  of  a  mone 
tary  skirmish.  A  pretty,  red-cheeked  chamber 
maid,  with  lovely  drooping  eyes,  showed  us  to  our 
rooms ;  it  was  yet  very  early  in  the  morning ;  we 
were  almost  ashamed  to  get  into  bed  with  such 
dazzling  white  sheets  after  the  dark-brown  accommo 
dations  of  the  "  Balaklava ;"  but  we  did  get  in,  and 
slept ;  oh  !  how  sweetly  !  until  breakfast  at  one  ! 

"  Twenty-four  miles  of  such  foot-travel  will  do 
pretty  well  for  an  invalid,  eh,  Picton  ?" 

"  All  serene  ?"  quoth  the  traveller,  interroga 
tively. 

"  Feel  as  well  as  ever  I  did  in  my  life,"  said  I, 
with  great  satisfaction. 

"  Then  let's  have  a  bath,"  and,  at  Picton's  sum 
mons,  the  chamber-maid  brought  up  in  our  rooms 
two  little  tubs  of  fair  water,  and  a  small  pile  of  fat, 
white  napkins.  The  bathing  over,  and  the  outer 
men  new  clad,  "  from  top  to  toe,"  down  we  went  to 
the  cosy  parlor  to  breakfast ;  and  such  a  breakfast ! 

I  tell  you,  my  kind  and  gentle  friend  ;  you,  who 
are  now  reading  this  paragraph,  that  here,  as  in  all 
other  parts  of  the  world,  there  are  a  great  many 


WITH    THE     BLUE    NOSES.  171 

kinds  of  people;  only  that  here,  in  Nova  Scotia, 
the  difference  is  in  spots,  not  in  individuals.  And 
I  will  venture  to  say  to  those  philanthropists  who 
are  eternally  preaching  "  of  the  masses,"  and  "  to 
the  masses,"  that  here  "masses"  can  be  found — 
concrete  "  masses,"  not  yet  individualized  :  as  ready 
to  jump  after  a  leader  as  a  flock  of  sheep  after  a 
bell-wether ;  only  that  at  every  interval  of  five  or 
ten  miles  between  place  and  place  in  Nova  Scotia, 
they  are  apt  to  jump  in  contrary  directions.  There 
are  Scotch  Nova  Scotiaites  even  in  Sydney.  Other 
wise  the  place  is  marvellously  pleasant. 

I  must  confess  that  I  had  a  romantic  sort  of  idea 
in  visiting  Sydney  ;  a  desire  to  return  by  way  of 
the  JSras  (TOr  lake,  the  "arm  of  gold,"  the  inland 
sea  of  Cape  Breton,  that  makes  the  island  itself  only 
a  border  for  the  water  in  its  interior.  And  as  the 
navigation  is  frequently  performed  by  the  Micmac 
Indians,  in  their  birch-bark  canoes,  I  determined 
to  be  a  voyageur  for  the  nonce,  and  engage  a  couple 
of  Micmacs  to  paddle  me  homewards,  at  least  one 
day's  journey.  The  wigwams  of  the  tribe  were 
pitched  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  and  I  proposed 
a  visit  to  their  camp  as  an  afternoon's  amusement. 
Picton  readily  assented,  and  down  we  went  to  the 
wharf,  where  the  landlady  assured  us  we  would  find 
some  of  the  tribe.  These  Indians,  often  expert 


172  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

coopers,  are  employed  to  barrel  up  fish ;  the  busy 
wharf  was  covered  with  laborers,  hard  at  work, 
heading  and  hooping  ship  loads  of  salt  mackerel; 
and  among  the  workmen  were  some  with  the  un 
mistakable  lozenge  eyes,  high  cheek-bones,  and 
rhubarb  complexion  of  the  native  American.  Upon 
inquiry,  we  were  introduced  to  one  of  the  Rhubar- 
barians.  He  was  a  little  fellow,  not  in  leggings  and 
quill-embroidered  hunting-shirt,  with  belt4  of  wam 
pum  and  buckskin  moccasins ;  armed  with  bow 
and  arrow,  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife ;  such  as 
one  would  expect  to  navigate  a  wild,  romantic  lake 
with,  in  birch-bark  canoe  ;  but  a  pinched-up  speci 
men  of  a  man,  in  a  seedy  black  suit,  out  of  which 
rose  a  broad,  flat  face,  like  the  orb  of  a  snm-flower, 
bearing  one  side  the  aboriginal  black  eye,  and  on 
the  other  the  civilized,  surrounded  with  the  blue 
and  purple  halo  of  battle.  We  had  barely  opened 
our  business  with  the  Indian,  when  a  bonny  Scotch 
man,  a  fellow-cooper  of  salt  mackerel,  introduced 
himself : 

"  Oh,  ye  visit  the  Micmacs  the  day  ?" 

~No  answer. 

"  De'il  a  canoe  has  he  to  tak  ye  there  "  (the  In 
dian  slunk  away),  "  but  I'll  tak  ye  tull  'em  for  one 
and  saxpence,  in  a  gude  boat." 

The  fellow  had  such  an  honest  face,  and  the  offer 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  173 

was  BO  fair  and  earnest,  that  Picton's  and  my  own 
trifling  prejudices  were  soon  overcome,  and  we 
directed  Malcolm,  for  that  was  his  name,  to  bring 
his  boat  under  the  inn- windows  after  the  dinner- 
hour.  I  regret  to  say  that  we  found  Malcolm  tole 
rably  drunk  after  dinner,  with  a  leaky  boat,  under 
the  inn-windows.  And  farther,  I  am  pained  to  state 
the  national  characteristic  was  developed  in  Mal 
colm  drunk,  from  which  there  was  no  appeal  to 
Malcolm  sober,  for  he  insisted  upon  double  fare, 
and  time  was  pressing.  To  this  we  assented,  after 
a  brief  review  of  former  prejudices.  We  got  in  the 
boat  and  put  off.  We  had  barely  floated  away  into 
the  beautiful  landscape  when  a  fog  swept  over  us, 
and  Malcolm's  nationality  again  woke  up.  He 
would  have  four  times  as  much  as  he  had  charged 
in  the  first  instance,  or  "he'd  tak  us  over,  and  land 
us  on  the  ither  side  of  the  bay." 

Then  Picton's  nationality  woke  up,  and  he  unbut 
toned  his  mackintosh.  "  Now,  sir,"  said  he  to 
Malcolm,  as  he  rose  from  his  seat  in  the  boat,  his 
head  gracefully  inclined  towards  his  starboard  shirt- 
collar,  and  his  two  tolerably  large  fists  arrayed- in 
order  of  battle  within  a  few  brief  inches  of  the 
delinquent's  features,  "did  I  understand  you  to 
say  that  you  had  some  idea  of  taking  this  gentle 
man  and  myself  to  the  other  side  of  the  lay  ?" 


ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

* 

There  was  a  boy  in  our  boat — a  fair-haired,  blue- 
eyed  representative  of  Nova  Scotia ;  a  sea-boy, 
with  a  dash  of  salt-water  in  his  ruddy  cheeks,  who 
had  modestly  refrained  from  taking  part  in  the  dis 
pute. 

"  Come,  now,"  said  he  to  Malcolm,  "  pull  away, 
and  let  us  get  the  gentlemen  up  to  the  camp,"  and 
he  knit  his  boy  brow  with  determination,  as  if  he 
meant  to  have  it  settled  according  to  contract. 

"  Yes,"  said  Picton,  nodding  at  the  boy,  "  and  if 
he  don't " 

"I'm  pullin'  an't  I?"  quoth  the  descendant  of 
King  Duncan,  a  little  frightened,  and  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word ;  "  I'm  a-pewlin,"  and  here  his 
oar  missed  the  water,  and  over  he  tumbled  with  a 
great  splash  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  "I'm 
a-pewlin,"  he  whined,  as  he  regained  his  seat  and 
the  oar,  "and  all  I  want  is  to  hae  my  honest 


airnins." 


"Then  pull  away,"  said  Picton,  as  he  resumed 
his  seat  in  the  stern-sheets. 

"  Ay,"  quoth  the  Scotchman,  "  I  know  the  Mic- 
macs  weel,  and  thae  squaws  too  ;  deil  a  one  o'  'em 
but  knows  Malcolm  " 

"  Pull  away,"  said  the  boy. 

"  They  are  guid-lookin',  thae  squaws,  and  I'm  a 
bachelter ;  and  1  tell  ye  when  I  tak  ye  tull  em — 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  175 

• 

for  I  know  the  hail  o'  em — if  ye  are  gentlemen, 
ye'll  pay  me  my  honest  airnins." 

"  And  I  tell  you,"  answered  Picton,  his  fist 
clenched,  his  eye  flashing  again,  and  his  indignant 
nostrils  expressing  a  degree  of  anger  language 
could  not  express  ;  "  I  tell  you,  if  you  do  not  carry 
us  to  the  Micmac  camp  without  further  words,  I'll 
pay  you  your  honest  earnings  before  you  get  there : 
I'll  punch  that  Scotch  head  of  yours  till  it  looks  like 
a  photograph !" 


176          -      A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER   IX. 

The  Micmac  Camp — Indian  Church-warden  and  Broker — Interior 
of  a  Wigwam — A  Madonna — A  Digression — Malcolm  discharged 
— An  Indian  Bargain — The  Inn  Parlor,  and  a  Comfortable 
Night's  Rest. 

THE  threat  had  its  effect :  in  a  few  minutes  our 
boat  ran  bows-on  up  the  clear  pebbled  beach  before 
the  Micmac  camp. 

It  was  a  little  cluster  of  birch-bark  wigwams, 
pitched  upon  a  carpet  of  greensward,  just  at  the 
edge  of  one  of  the  loveliest  harbors  in  the  world. 
The  fog  rolled  away  like  the  whiff  of  vapor  from  a 
pipe,  and  melted  out  of  sight.  Before  us  were  the 
blue  and  violet  waters,  tinged  with  the  hues  of  sun 
set,  the  rounded,  swelling,  curving  shores  opposite, 
dotted  with  cottages;  the  long,  sweeping,  creamy 
beaches,  the  distant  shipping,  and,  beyond,  the 
great  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Nearer 
at  hand  were  "  the  murmuring  pines  and  the  hem 
locks,"  the  tender  green  light  seen  in  vistas  of  firs 
and  spruces,  the  thin  smoke  curling  up  from  the 
wigwams,  the  birch-bark  canoes,  the  black,  bright 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  ITT 

* 

eyes  of  the  children,  the  sallow  faces  of  .the  men, 
and  the  pretty  squaws,  arrayed  in  blue  broad 
cloth  frocks  and  leggings,  and  modesty,  and  mocca 
sins. 

"  Now,  here  we  are,"  said  Malcolm,  triumphantly, 
"  and  wha  d'  ye  thenk  o'  the  Micmacs  ?  Deil  a 
wan  o'  the  yellow  deevils  but  knows  Malcolm,  an 
I'll  introjewce  ye  to  the  hail  o'  em." 

"  Stop,  sir,"  said  Picton,  sternly,  "  we  want  none 
of  your  company.  You  can  take  your  boat  back," 
(here  I  nodded  affirmatively),  "  and  we'll  walk 
home." 

It  was  quite  a  picture,  that  of  our  oarsman, 
upon  this  summons  to  depart.  He  had  just  laid 
his  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  a  fat,  good-natured 
looking  squaw,  to  commence  the  introjewcing ;  one 
foot  rested  on  the  bottom  of  an  overturned  canoe, 
in  an  attitude  of  command ;  his  old  battered  tar 
paulin  hat,  his  Guernsey  shirt,  and  salt-mackerel 
trowsers,  finely  relieved  against  the  violet-tinted 
water ;  but  oh  !  how  chop-fallen  were  those  rugged 
features  under  that  old  tarpaulin ! 

The  scene  had  its  effect ;  I  am  sure  Picton  and 
myself  would  gladly  have  paid  the  quadruple  sum 
on  the  spot — after  all,  it  was  but  a  trifle — for 
we  both  drew  forth  a  sovereign  at  the  same  mo 
ment. 

8* 


ITS  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

Unfortunately  Malcolm  had  no  change ;  not  a 
"  bawbee."  "  Then,"  said  we,  "  go  back  to  the  inn, 
and  we'll  pay  you  on  our  return." 

"  And,"  said  Malcolm,  in  an  unearthly  whine 
that  might  have  been  heard  all  over  the  camp, 
"  d'  ye  get  me  here  to  take  advantage  o'  me,  and 
no  pay  me  my  honest  airnins  ?" 

"  What  we  are  to  do  with  this  fellow,  short  of 
giving  him  a  drubbing,  I  do  not  know,"  said  Pic- 
ton.  "  Here,  you,  give  us  change  for  a  sovereign, 
or  take  yourself  off  and  wait  at  the  hotel  till  we  get 
back  again." 

"  I  canna  change  a  sovereign,  I  tell  ye  " 

"  Then  be  off  with  you,  and  wait." 

"  "Wad  ye  send  me  away  without  my  honest  airn 
ins  ?"  he  uttered,  with  a  whine  like  the  bleat  of  a 
bagpipe. 

Picton  drew  a  little  closer  to  Malcolm,  with  one 
fist  carefully  doubled  up  and  put  in  ambush  behind 
his  back.  But  the  boy  interposed — "  Perhaps  the 
Micmac  chief  could  change  the  sovereign." 

"  Oh  !  ay,"  quoth  Malcolm,  who  had  given  an  un 
easy  look  at  Picton  as  he  stepped  towards  him; 
"  Oh  !  ay ;  I'se  tak  ye  tull  'im  ;"  and  without  fur 
ther  ado  he  stepped  off  briskly  towards  the  centre 
of  the  camp,  and  we  followed  in  his  wake.  When 
our  file-leader  reached  the  wigwam  of  the  chief,  he 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  179 

went  down  on  hands  and  knees,  lifted  up  a  little 
curtain  or  blanket  in  front  of  the  low  door  of  the 
tent,  crawled  in  head  first,  and  we  followed  close 
upon  his  heels. 

As  soon  as  the  eye  became  accustomed  to  the 
dim  and  uncertain  light  of  the  interior,  we  began  to 
examine  the  curious  and  simple  architecture  of  this 
human  bee-hive.  A  circle  of  poles,  say  about  ten 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  tied  together  to 
an  apex  at  the  top,  covered  with  the  thin  bark  of 
the  birch-tree,  except  a  space  above  to  let  out  the 
smoke,  was  all  the  protection  these  people  had 
against  the  elements  in  summer  or  winter.  The 
floor,  of  course,  was  the  primitive  soil  of  Cape 
Breton  ;  in  the  centre  of  the  tent  a  few  sticks  were 
smouldering  away  over  a  little  pile  of  ashes :  the 
thin  smoke  lifted  itself  up  in  folds  of  blue  vapor 
until  it  stole  forth  into  the  evening  air  from  the 
opening  in  the  roof.  Through  this  aperture  the 
light — the  only  light  of  the  tent — fell  down  upon 
the  group  below :  the  old  chief  with  his  great  silver 
cross,  and  medal,  and  snow-white  hair ;  the  young 
and  beautiful  squaw  with  her  pappoose  at  the 
breast,  like  a  Madonna  by  Murillo ;  Malcolm's 
battered  tarpaulin  and  Guernsey  shirt ;  and  the 
two.unpicturesque  objects  of  the  party — Picton 
and  myself.  Around  the  central  fire  a  broad, 


180  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

green  border  of  fragrant  hemlock  twigs,  extending 
to  the  skirts  of  the  tent,  was  raised  a  few  inches 
from  the  ground.  Upon  this  conch  we  sat,  and 
opened  our  business  with  the  aged  sagamore. 

Old  Indian  was  very  courteous  ;  he  drew  forth  a 
bag  of  clinking  dollars,  for  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
he  was  a  churchwarden:  the  Micmacs  being  all 
Catholics,  the  chief  holds  the  silver  keys  of  St. 
Peter.  But  venerable  and  pious  as  he  appeared, 
with  his  silver  cross  and  silver  hair,  the  old  fellow 
was  something  too  of  a  broker !  He  demanded  a 
fair  rate  of  commission — eight  per  cent,  premium  on 
every  dollar !  Even  this  would  not  answer  our 
purpose ;  it  was  as  difficult  to  make  change  with 
the  old  churchwarden  as  with  Malcolm  :  there  was 
no  money  in  the  camp  except  hard  silver  dollars. 

No  change  for  a  sovereign ! 

So  we  went  forth  from  the  wigwam  again  on  all 
fours,  and  it  was  only  by  another  promise  of  a 
sound  drubbing  that  Malcolm  was  finally  per 
suaded  to  drop  off  and  leave  us. 

Aboriginal  certainly  is  the  camp  of  the  Micmacs. 
The  birch-bark  wigwams ;  the  canoes  that  lined  the 
beach;  the  paddles,  the  utensils;  the  bows  and 
arrows ;  the  parti-colored  baskets,  are  independent 
of,  are  earlier  than  our  arts  and  manufactures..  So 
far  as  these  people  are  concerned,  the  colonial 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  181 

government  has  been  mild  and  considerate. 
Although  there  are  game-laws  in  the  Province,  yet 
jMicmac  has  a  privilege  no  white  man  can  possess. 
At  all  seasons  he  may  hunt  or  fish  ;  he  may  stick 
his  aishfcun  in  the  salmon  as  it  runneth  up  the 
rivers  to  spawn,  and  shoot  the  partridge  on  its 
nest,  if  he  please,  without  fine  and  imprisonment. 
Some  may  think  it  better  to  preserve  the  game 
than  to  preserve  the  Indian  ;  but  some  think  other 
wise.  For  my  part,  when  the  question  is  between 
the  man  and  the  salmon,  I  am  content  to  forego  fish. 
As  we  walked  through  the  Micmac  camp  we 
met  our  semi-civilized  friend  with  the  lozenge  eyes, 
and  I  made  a  contract  with  him  for  a  brief  voyage 
on  le  Bras  d'Or.  But  alas !  Indian  will  sometimes 
take  a  lesson  from  his  white  comrades !  Micmac's 
charge  at  first  was  one  pound  for  a  trip  of  twenty- 
four  miles  on  the  "  Arm  of  Gold  ;"  cheap  enough. 
But  before  we  left  the  camp  it  was  two  pounds. 
That  I  agreed  to  pay.  Then  there  was  a  portage  of 
three  miles,  over  which,  the  canoe  had  to-  be 
carried.  "  Well  ?:'  "  And  it  would  take  two  men 
to  paddle."  "  Well  ?"  "  And  then  the  canoe  had  to 
be  paddled  pack."  «  Well  ?"  «  And  then  carried 
over  the  portage  again."  "Well?"  "And  so  it 
would  be  four  pounds!"  Here  the  negotiations 
were  broken  off;  how  much  more  it  would  cost  I 


182  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

did  not  ascertain.  The  rate  of  progression  was  too 
rapid  for  further  inquiry. 

So  we  walked  home  again  amid  the  fragrant 
resinous  trees,  until  we  gained  the  high  road,  and 
so  by  pretty  cottages,  and  lawns,  and  picket  fences ; 
sometimes  meeting  groups  of  wandering  damsels 
with  their  young  and  happy  lovers ;  sometimes 
twos  and  threes  of  horse-women,  in  habits,  hats, 
and  feathers  :  now  catching  a  glimpse  of  the  broad, 
blue  harbor ;  now  looking  down  a  green  lane,  bor 
dered  with  turf  and  copse ;  until  we  reached  our 
comfortable  quarters  at  Mrs.  Hearn's,  where  the 
pretty  chambermaid,  with  drooping  eyes,  welcomed 
us  in  a  voice  whose  music  was  sweeter  than  the 
tea-bell  she  held  in  her  hand.  And  here,  too,  we 
found  Malcolm,  waiting  for  his  pay,  partially  sober 
and  quiet  as  a  lamb. 

I  trust  the  reader  will  not  find  fault  with  the 
writer  for  dwelling  upon  these  minute  particulars. 
In  this  itinerary  of  the  trip  to  the  Acadian  land,  I 
have  endeavored  to  portray,  as  faithfully  as  may  be, 
the  salient  features  of  the  country,  and  particularly 
those  contrasts  visible  in  the  settlements;  the 
jealous  preservation  of  those  dear,  old,  splendid  pre 
judices,  that  separate  tribe  from  tribe,  clan  from 
clan,  sect  from  sect,  race  from  race.  I  wish  the 
reader  to  see  and  know  the  country  as  it  is,  not  for 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  183 

the  purpose  of  arousing  his  prejudices  against  a 
neighboring  people,  but  rather  with  the  intent  of 
showing  to  what  result  these  prejudices  tend,  in 
order  that  he  may  correct  his  own.  A  mere  aggre 
gation  of  tribes  is  not  a  great  people.  Take  the 
human  species  in  a  state  of  sectionalism,  and  it  does 
not  make  much  difference  whether  it  is  in  the  shape 
of  the  Indian,  proud  of  the  blue  and  red  stripes  on 
his  face,  or  the  Scotchman,  proud  of  the  blue  and 
red  stripes  on  his  plaid,  the  inferiority  of  the  hu 
man  animal,  with  his  tribal  sheep-mark  on  him, 
is  evident  enough  to  any  person  of  enlarged  under 
standing.  Therefore  I  have  been  minute  and  faith 
ful  in  describing  the  species  McGibbet  and  Mal 
colm,  and  in  contrasting  them  with  the  hardy 
fisherman  of  Louisburgh,  the  Micmacs  of  Sydney, 
the  negroes  of  Deer's  Castle,  the  Acadians  of 
Chizzetcook,  and  as  we  shall  see  anon  with  other 
sectional  specimens,  just  as  they  present  their 
kaleidoscopic  hues  in  the  local  settlements  of  this 
colony. 

It  is  just  a  year  since  I  was  seated  in  that  cosy 
inn-parlor  at  Sydney,  and  how  strangely  it  all 
comes  back  again  :  the  little  window  overlooking 
the  harbor,  the  lights  on  the  twinkling  waters;  the 
old-fashioned  house-clock  in  the  corner  of  the  room ; 
the  bright  brass  andirons  ;  the  cut  paper  chimney- 


184:  A  CAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 

apron ;  the  old  sofa ;  the  cheerful  lamp,  and  the 
well-polished  table.  And  I  remember,  too,  the  hap 
py,  tranquil  feeling  of  lying  in  the  snow-white 
sheets  at  night,  and  talking  with  Picton  of  our  over 
land  journey  from  Louisburgh ;  of  McGibbet  and 
Malcolm ;  and  then  we  branched  out  on  the  great 
subject  of  Indian  rights,  and  Indian  wrongs ;  of 
squaws  and  pappooses ;  of  wigwams  and  canoes,  until 
at  last  I  dropped  off  in  a  doze,  and  heard  only  a 
repetition  of  Micmac — Micmac — Micmac — Mic — 

Mac Mic Mac  !    To  this  day  I  am  unable 

to  say  whether  the  sound  I  heard  came  from  Picton, 
or  the  great  house-clock  in  the  corner. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  185 


CHAP1EK  X. 

Over  the  Bay — A  Gigantic  Dumb  Waiter — Erebus— Reflections — 
White  and  Black  Squares  of  the  Chess-board — Leave-taking — 
An  Interruption— The  Aibstract  Preencipels  of  Feenance. 

BRIGHT  and  early  next  morning  we  arose  for  an 
expedition  across  the  bay  to  North  Sydney  and  the 
coal-mines.  A  fresh  breakfast  in  a  sunny  room,  a 
brisk  walk  to  the  breezy,  grass-grown  parapet,  that 
defends  the  harbor ;  a  thought  of  the  first  expedi 
tion  to  lay  down  the  telegraph  line  between  the  old 
and  new  hemispheres,  for  here  lie  the  coils  of  the 
sub-marine  cable,  as  they  were  left  after  the  stormy 
essay  of  the  steamer  "  James  Adger,"  a  year  be 
fore — what  a  theme  for  a  poet ! 

"  Perhaps  in  this  neglected  spot  is  laid 
Some  spark,  now  dormant,  of  electric  fire  : 
News,  that  the  board  of  brokers  might  have  swayed, 
Or  broke  the  banks  that  trembled  with  the  wire." 

• — and  we  take  an  airy  seat  on  the  poop-deck  of  the 
little  English  steamer,  and  are  wafted  across  the 


186  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

harbor,  five  miles,  to  a  small  sea-port,  where  coal- 
schutes  and  railways  run  out  over  the  wharfs,  and 
coasters,  both  fore-and-aft,  and  square-rigged,  are 
gathered  in  profusion.  A  glass  of  English  ale  at  a 
right  salt-sea  tavern,  a  bay  horse,  and  two-wheeled 
"jumper"  for  the  road,  and  away  we  roll  towards 
the  mines.  Now  up  hill  and  down ;  now  passing 
another  Micmac  camp  on  the  green  margin  of  the 
beach  ;  now  by  trim  gardens  without  flowers ;  now 
getting  nearer  to  the  mines,  which  we  know  by  the 
increasing  blackness  of  the  road ;  until  at  last  we 
bowl  past  rows  of  one  story  dingy  tenements  of 
brick,  with  miners'  wives  and  children  •  clustered 
about  them  like  funereal  flowers ;  until  we  see  the 
forges  and  jets  of  steam,  and  davits  uplifted  in  the 
air  ;  and  hear  the  rattle  of  the  iron  trucks  and  the 
rush  of  the  coal  as  it  runs  through  the  schutes  into 
the  rail-cars  on  the  road  beneath.  "We  tie  our  pony 
beside  a  cinder-heap,  and  mount  a  ladder  to  the 
level  of  the  huge  platform  above  the  shaft.  A  con 
stant  supply  of  small  hand-cars  come  up  with  demo 
niac  groans  and  shrieks  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth 
through  the  shaft.  These  are  instantly  seized  by 
the  laborers  anctrun  over  an  iron  floor  to  the  schute, 
where  they  are  caught  in  titantic  trammels,  and 
overturned  into  harsh  thunder.  Meanwhile  the  de 
mon  car-bringer  has  sunk  again  on  its  errand ;  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  187 

suspending  rope  wheeling  down  with  dizzy  swift 
ness.  As  one  car-bearer  descends,  another  rises 
to  the  surface  with  its  twin  wheel-vessels  of 
coal. 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  down  ?" 

"  How  far  down  ?" 

"Sixty  fathoms." 

Three  hundred  and  sixty  feet !  Think  of  being 
suspended  by  a  thread,  from  a  height  twice  that  of 
Trinity's  spire,  and  whirled  into  such  a  depth  by 
steam !  "We  crawled  into  the  little  iron  box,  just 
large  enough  to  allow  us  to  sit  up  with  our  heads 
against  the  top,  both  ends  of  our  parachute  being 
open;  the  operator  presses  down  a  bar,  and  instantly 
the  earth  and  sky  disappear,  and  we  are  wrapt  in 
utter  darkness.  Oh  ?  how  sickening  is  this  sinking 
feeling  !  Down — down — down  !  What  a  gigantic 
dumb-waiter  !  Down,  down,  a  hot  gust  of  vapor — 
a  stifling  sensation — a  concussion  upon  the  iron  floor 
at  the  foot  of  the  shaft ;  a  multitude  of  twinkling 
lamps,  of  fiends,  of  grimy  faces,  and  no  bodies — and 
we  are  in  a  coal-mine. 

There  was  a  black,  bituminous  seat  for  visitors, 
sculptured  out  of  the  coal,  just  beyond  the  ,  shaft, 
and  to  this  we  were  led  by  the  carboniferous  fiends. 
My  heart  beat  violently.  I  do  not  know  how  it 
went  with  Picton,  but  we  were  both  silent.  Oh ! 


188  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

for  a  glimpse  of  the  blue  sky  and  waving  trees 
above  us,  and  a  long  breath  of  fresh  air ! 

As  soon  as  the  stifling  sensation  passed  away,  we 
breathed  more  freely,  and  the  lungs  became  accus 
tomed  to  the  subterranean  atmosphere.  In  the 
gloom,  we  could  see  the  smutted  features  only,  of 
miners  moving  about,  and  to  heighten  the  Dantesque 
reality,  new  and  strange  sounds,  from  different  parts 
of  the  enormous  cavern,  came  pouring  towards  the 
common  centre — the  shaft  of  the  coal-pit. 

These  were  the  laden  cars  on  the  tram-ways, 
drawn  by  invisible  horses,  from  the  distant  works 
in  the  mine,  rolling  and  reverberating  through  the 
infernal  aisles  of  this  demon  cathedral.  One  could 
scarcely  help*  recalling  the  old  grandfather  of 
Maud's  Lord-lover : 

"  lately  died, 

Gone  to  a  blacker  pit,  for  whom 
Grimy  nakedness,  dragging  his  trucks 
And  laying  his  trams,  in  a  poisoned  gloom 
Wrought,  till  he  crept  from  a  gutted  mine 
Master  of  half  a  servile  shire, 
And  left  his  coal  all  turned  into  gold 
To  a  grandson,  first  of  his  noble  line." 

Intermingled  with  these  soimds  were  others,  the 
jar  and  clash  of  gateways,  the  dripping  and  splash- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  180 

ing  of  water,  the  rolling  thunder  of  the  ascending 
and  descending  iron  parachutes  in  the  shaft,  the 
trampling  of  horses,  the  distant  report  of  powder- 
blasts,  and  the  shrill  jargon  of  human  speakers, 
near,  yet  only  partially  visible. 

"Is  it  a  clear  day  overhead?"  said  the  black 
bust  of  one  of  the  miners,  with  a  lamp  in  its 
hat ! 

Just  think  of  it !  We  had  only  been  divorced 
from  the  aerial  blue  of  a  June  sky  a  minute  before. 
Our  very  horse  was  so  high  above  us  that  we  could 
have  distinguished  him  only  by  the  aid  of  a  tele 
scope — that  is,  if  the  solid  ribs  of  the  globe  were  not 
between  us  and  him. 

As  soon  as  we  became  accustomed  to  the  place, 
we  moved  off  after  the  foreman  of  the  mine.  We 
walked  through  the  miry  tram-ways  under  the  low, 
black  arches,  now  stepping  aside  to  let  an  invisible 
horse  and  car,  "  grating  harsh  thunder,"  pass  us  in 
the  murky  darkness  ;  now  through  a  doorway,  mo 
mently  closed  to  keep  the  foul  and  clear  airs  sepa 
rate,  until  we  came  to  the  great  furnace  of  the  mine 
that  draws  off  all  the  noxious  vapors  from  this  nest 
of  Beelzebub.  Then  we  went  to  the  stables  where 
countless  horses  are  stalled — horses  that  never  see 
the  light  of  day  again,  or  if  they  do,  are  struck 
blind  by  the  apparition ;  now  in  wider  galleries, 


190  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

and  new  explorations,  where  we  behold  the  busy 
miners,  twinkling  like  the  distant  lights  of  a  city, 
and  hear  the  thunder-burst,  as  the  blast  explodes  in 
the  murky  chasms.  At  last,  tired,  oppressed,  and 
sickened  with  the  vast  and  horrible  prison,  for  such 
it  Feems,  we  retrace  our  steps,  and  once  more  enter 
the  iron  parachute.  A  touch  of  -the  magic  lever, 
and  again  we  fly  away  ;  but  now  upwards,  upwards 
to  the  glorious  blue  sky  and  air  of  mother  earth. 
A  miner  with  his  lamp  accompanies  us.  By 'its 
dim  light  we  see  how  rapidly  we  spin  through  the 
shaft.  Our  car  clashes  again  at  the  top,  and  as  we 
step  forth  into  the  clear  sunshine,  we  thank  GOD  for 
such  a  bright  and  beautiful  world  up  stairs ! 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  I,  "  Picton,  what  we  would 
do  if  we  had  such  a  devil's  pit  as  this  in  the 
States?" 

"  Well  ?"  answered  the  traveller,  interroga 
tively. 

"  We  would  make  niggers  work  it." 

"I  dare  say,"  replied  Picton,  drily  and  satiri 
cally;  "but,  sir,  I  am  proud  to  say  that  our 
government  does  not  tolerate  barbarity  ;  to  consign 
an  inoffensive  fellow-creature  to  such  horrible  labor, 
merely  because  he  is  black,  is  at  variance  with  the 
well-known  humanity  of  the  whole  British  nation, 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  191 

"But  those  miners,  Picton,  were  black  as  the 
father  of  Ethiopia." 

"The  miners,"  replied  Picton,  with  impressive 
gravity,  "  are  black,  but  not  negroes." 

"  Nothing  but  mere  white  people,  Picton  ?" 

"  Eh  ?"  said  the  traveller. 

"  Only  white  people,  and  therefore  we  need  not 
waste  one  grain  of  sympathy  over  a  whole  pit  full 
of  them." 

"  Why  not  P 

"  Because  they  are  not  niggers,  what  is  the  use  of 
wasting  sympathy  upon  a  rat-hole  full  of  white 
British  subjects  ?" 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,"  said  Picton,  "  you  are 
getting  personal." 

We  were  now  rolling  past  the  dingy  tenements 
again.  Squalid-looking,  care-worn  women,  grimy 
children : 

"  To  me  there's  something  touching,  I  confess, 
In  the  grave  look  of  early  thoughtfulness, 
Seen  often  in  some  little  childish  face, 
Among  the  poor ;" — 

But  these  children's  faces  are  not  such.  A  child's 
face — God  bless  it !  should  always  have  a  little  sun 
shine  in  its  glance;  but  these  are  mere  staring  faces, 
without  expression,  that  make  you  shudder  and  feel 


192  A  CAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 

sad.  Miners  by  birtli ;  human  moles  fitted  to  bur 
row  in  darkness  for  a  life-time.  Is  it  worth  living 
for  ?  No  wonder  those  swart  laborers  underground 
are  so  grim  and  taciturn :  no  wonder  there  was  not 
a  face  lighted  up  by  those  smoky  lamps  in  the  pit, 
that  had  one  line  of  human  sympathy  left  in  its 
rigidly  engraved  features  ! 

But  we  must  have  coal,  and  we  must  have  cotton. 
The  whole  plantations  of  the  South  barely  supply 
the  press  with  paper ;  and  the  messenger  of  intelli 
gence,  the  steam-ship,  but  for  coal  could  not  per 
form  its  glorious  mission.  What  is  to  be  done,  Pac- 
ton  ?  If  every  man  is  willing  to  give  up  his  morn 
ing  paper,  wear  a  linen  shirt,  cross  the  ocean  in  a 
clipper-ship,  and  burn  wood  in  an  open  fireplace, 
something  might  be  done. 

As  Picton's  steamer  (probably  fog-bound)  had 
not  yet  arrived  in  Sydney,  nor  yet  indeed  the  "  Ba- 
laklava,"  the  traveller  determined  to  take  a  New 
foundland  brigantine  for  St.  John's,  from  which  port 
there  are  vessels  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  After 
leaving  horse  and  jumper  with  the  inn-keeper,  we 
took  a  small  boat  to  one  of  the  many  queer  looking, 
high-pooped  crafts  in  the  harbor,  and  very  soon 
found  ourselves  in  a  tiny  cabin,  panelled  with  maple, 
in  which  the  captain  and  some  of  the  men  were  busy 
over  a  pan  of  savory  Idbscouse,  a  salt-sea  dish  of 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  193 

great  reputation  and  flavor.  Picton  soon  made  his 
agreement  with  the  captain  for  a  four  clays'  sail  (or 
more)  across  to  the  neighboring  province,  and  his 
luggage  was  to  be  on  board  the  next  morning. 
Once  more  we  sailed  over  the  bay  of  Sydney,  and 
regained  the  pleasant  shelter  of  our  inn. 

"  Picton,"  said  I,  after  a  comfortable  supper  and 
a  pensive  segar,  "  we  shall  soon  separate  for  our 
respective  homes ;  but  before  we  part,  I  wish  to 
say  to  you  how  much  I  have  enjoyed  this  brief  ac 
quaintance  ;  perhaps  we  may  never  meet  again,  but 
I  trust  our  short  voyage  together,  will  now  and 
then  be  recalled  by  you,  in  whatever  part  of  the 
world  you  may  chance  to  be,  as  it  certainly  will  by 
me." 

The  traveller  replied  by  a  hearty,  earnest  grasp 
of  the  hand  ;  and  then,  after  this  formal  leave-tak 
ing,  we  became  suddenly  estranged,  as  it  were,  sad, 
and  silent,  and  shy  ;  the  familiar  tone  of  conversa 
tion  lost  its  keynote  ;  Picton  looked  out  of  the  inn 
window  at  the  luminous  moon-fog  on  the  bay,  and 
I  buried  my  reflections  in  an  antiquated  pamphlet 
of  "  Household  Words."  "We  were  soon  inter 
rupted  by  a  stranger  coming  into  the  parlor,  a 
chance  visitor,  another  dry,  preceese  specimen  of 
the  land  of  oat-cakes. 

After  the  usual  salutations,  the  conversation 

9 


194:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

floated  easily  on,  upon  indifferent  topics,  until  Pic- 
ton  happened  to  allude,  casually,  to  the  general 
banking  system  of  England.  This  was  enough  for 
a  text.  Our  visitor  immediately  launched  forth 
upon  the  subject,  and  gaed  us  a  twa-hours  discourse 
on  the  system  of  banking  in  Scotland  ;  wherein  the 
superiority  of  the  method  adopted  by  his  country 
men,  to  wring  the  last  drop  of  interest  out  a  shilling, 
was  pertinaciously  and  dogmatically  argued,  upon 
the  great  groundwork  of  "  the  general  and  aib- 
stract  preencepels  of  feenance  !" 

It  was  in  vain  that  the  traveller  endeavored  to 
silence  him  by  a  few  flashes  of  sarcasm.  He  might 
as  well  have  tried  to  silence  a  park  of  artillery  with 
a  handful  of  torpedoes  !  On  and  on,  with  the  dog- 
gedness  of  a  slow-hound,  the  Scot  pursued  the 
theme,  until  all  other  considerations  were  lost  in 
the  one  sole  idea. 

But  thus  it  is  always,  when  you  come  in  contact 
with  people  of  "  aibstract  preencepels."  All  sweet 
and  tender  impulses,  all  generous  and  noble  sugges 
tions,  all  light  and  shade,  all  warmth  and  color,  must 
give  place  to  their  dry  husks  of  reason. 

"  Confound  the  Scotch  interloper,"  said  Picton, 
after  our  visitor  had  retired,  "  what  business  had  he 
to  impose  upon  our  good  nature,  with  his  thread 
bare  '  aibstract  preencepels  ?'  Confound  him  and 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  195 

his  beggarly  liigli  cheek-bones,  and  his  Caledonian 
pock-pits.  I  am  sorry  that  I  ever  came  to  this  part 
of  the  world ;  it  has  ruined  a  taste  which  I  had 
acquired,  with  much  labor,  for  Scottish  poetry ;  and 
I  shall  never  see  'Burns's  Works'  again  without  a 
sickening  shudder." 


106  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER    XL 

The  Bras  d'Or  Road — Farewell  to  Picton— Home  sweet  Home — 
The  Rob  Roys  of  Cape  Breton — Note  and  Query— Chapel  Island 
— St.  Peter's — Enterprise — The  Strait  of  Canseau — West  River — 
The  last  Out-post  of  the  Scottish  Chiefs. 

THE  road  that  skirts  the  Arm  of  Gold  is  about  one 
hundred  miles  in  length.  After  leaving  Sydney, 
you  ride  beside  the  Spanish  Eiver  a  short  distance, 
until  you  come  to  the  portage,  which  separates  it 
from  the  lake,  and  then  you  follow  the  delicious 
curve  of  the  great  beach  until  you  arrive  at  St. 
Peter's.  From  St.  Peter's  you  travel  across  a  narrow 
strip  of  land  until  you  reach  the  shore  upon  the 
extreme  westerly  end  of  the  island  of  Cape  Breton, 
where-you  cross  the  Strait  of  Canseau,  and  then  you 
are  upon  the  mainland  of  Nova  Scotia.  I  had 
fondly  hoped  to  voyage  upon  the  Bras  d'Or,  in 
stead  of  beside  it ;  but  was  obliged  to  forego  that 
pleasure.  Romance,  at  one  dollar  per  mile,  is  a  dear 
piece  of  extravagance,  even  in  so  ethereal  a  vehicle 
as  a  birch-bark  canoe.  Therefore  I  engaged  a  seat 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  197 

in  the  Cape  Breton  stage,  instead  of  the  aboriginal 
conveyance,  in  which  you  have  to  sit  or  lie  in  the 
bottom,  at  the  risk  of  an  upset,  and  trust  to  fair 
weather  and  the  dip  of  the  paddle. 

At  day-break  (two  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  these 
high  latitudes)  the  stage  arrived  at  the  door  of  our 
pleasant  inn.  I  was  speedily  dressed,  and  ready — 
and  DOW — "  Good  bye,  Picton  !" 

The  traveller  stretched  out  a  hand  from  the  warm 
nest  in  which  he  was  buried. 

"  Good  bye,"  he  said,  with  a  hearty  hand-shake', 
and  so  we  parted. 

It  was  painful  to  leave  such  an  agreeable  compan 
ion,  but-  then  what  a  relief  it  was  to  escape  from  the 
cannie  Scots  !  The  first  inhalation  of  the  foggy  air 
went  tingling  through  every  vein ;  the  first  move 
ment  of  the  stage,  as  we  rolled  westward,  was  inde 
scribable  happiness ;  I  was  at  last  homeward  bound ; 
in  full  health,  in  full  strength  ;  swift  upon  my  sight 
came  the  vision  of  the  one  familiar  river ;  the  cot 
tage  and  the  chestnuts  ;  the  rolling  greensward,  and 
the  Palisades  ;  and  there,  too,  was  my  ~best  friend ; 
and  there — 

"  My  young  barbarians  all  at  play." 

Drive  on,  John  Ormond  ! 

Our  Cape  Breton  stage  is  an  easy,  two-seated  ve- 


198  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

hicle ;  a  quiet,  little  rockaway-wagon,  with  a  top  ; 
and  although  H.  B.  M.  Koyal  Mail  Coach,  entirely 
different  from  the  huge  musk-melon  upon  wheels 
with  which  we  are  familiar  in  the  States.  In  it  I 
am  the  only  passenger.  Thank  Heaven  for  that ! 
I  might  be  riding  beside  an  aibstract  preencepel. 

But  never  mind  !  Drive  on,  John  Ormond ;  we 
shall  soon  be  among  another  race  of  Scotsmen,  the 
bold  Highlandmen  of  romance ;  the  McGregors, 
and  McPhersons,  the  Camerons,  Grahams,  and 
McDonalds  ;  and  as  a  century  or  so  does  not  alter 
the  old-country  prejudices  of  the  people  in  these 
settlements,  we  will  no  doubt  find  them  in  their 
pristine  habiliments ;  in  plaids  and  spleuchens ; 
brogues  and  buckles  ;  hose  and  bonnets  ;  with  clay 
more,  dirk,  and  target ;  the  white  cockade  and  ea 
gle  feather,  so  beautiful  in  the  "Waverley  JN"ovels. 

We  left  the  pretty  village  of  Sydney  behind  us, 
and  were  not  long  in  gaining  the  margin  of  the  Bras 
d'Or.  This  great  lake,  or  rather  arm  of  the  sea,  is,  as 
I  have  said,  about  one  hundred  miles  in  length  by 
its  shore  road  ;  but  so  wide  is  it,  and  so  indented  by 
broad  bays  and  deep  coves,  that  a  coasting  journey 
around  it  is  equal  in  extent  to  a  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic.  Besides  the  distant  mountains  that  rise 
proudly  from  the  remote  shores,  there  are  many  no 
ble  islands  in  its  expanse,  and  forest-covered  penin- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  199 

sulas,  bordered  with  beaches  of  glittering  white 
pebbles.  But  over  all  this  wide  landscape  there 
broods  a  spirit  of  primeval  solitude ;  not  a  sail  broke 
the  loneliness  of  the  lake  until  we  had  advanced 
far  upon  our  day's  journey.  For  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  the  Golden  Arm  is  a  very  useless  piece  of  wa 
ter  in  this  part  of  the  world ;  highly  favored  as  it 
is  by  nature,  land-locked,  deep  enough  for  vessels 
of  all  burden,  easy  of  access  on  the  gulf  side,  free 
from  fogs,  and  only  separated  from  the  ocean  at  its 
western  end  by  a  narrow  strip  of  land,  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  wide ;  abounding  in  timber,  coal, 
and  gypsum,  and  valuable  for  its  fisheries,  especial 
ly  in  winter,  yet  the  Bras  d'Or  is  undeveloped  for 
want  of  that  element  which  seems  to  be  alien  to  the 
Colonies,  namely,  enterprise. 

If  I  had  formed  some  romantic  ideas  concerning 
the  new  and  strange  people  we  found  on  the  road 
we  were  now  travelling,  the  liighlandmen,  the  Rob 
Hoys  and'  Yich  Ian  Yohrs  of  Nova  Scotia,  those 
ideas  were  soon  dissipated.  It  is  true  here  were  the 
Celts  in  their  wild  settlements,  but  without  bag 
pipes  or  pistols,  sporrans  or  philabegs ;  there  was 
not  even  a  solitary  thistle  to  charm  the  eye  ;  and  as 
for  oats,  there  were  at  least  two  Scotchmen  to  one 
oat  in  this  garden  of  exotics.  I  have  a  reasonable 
amount  of  respect  for  a  Highlandman  in  full  cos- 


200  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

tume ;  but  for  a  sandy-haired,  freckled,  high- 
cheeked  animal,  in  a  round  hat  and  breeches,  that 
cannot  utter  a  word  of  English,  I  have  no  sympathy. 
One  fellow  of  this  complexion,  without  a  hat,  trotted 
beside  our  coach  for  several  miles,  grunting  forth 
his  infernal  Gaelic  to  John  Ormond,  with  a  hah  !  to 
every  answer  of  the  driver,  that  was  really  painful. 
"When  he  disappeared  in  the  woods  his  red  head 
went  out  like  a  torch.  But  we  had  scarcely  gone 
by  the  first  Highlandman,  when  another  darted  out 
upon  us  from  a  by-path,  and  again  broke  the  sab 
bath  of  the  woods  and  waters ;  and  then  another 
followed,  so  that  the  morning  ride  by  the  Bras  d'Or 
was  fringed  with  Gaelic.  Now  I  have  heard  many 
languages  in  my  time,  and  know  how  to  appreciate 
the  luxurious  Greek,  the  stately  Latin,  the  melli- 
flous  Chinese,  the  epithetical  Sclavic,  the  soft  Ital 
ian,  the  rich  Castilian,  the  sprightly  French,  sonor 
ous  German,  and  goo<J  old  English,  but  candor  com 
pels  me  to  say,  that  I  do  not  think  much  of  the 
Gaelic.  It  is  not  pleasing  to  the  ear. 

Yet  it  was  a  stately  ride,  that  by  the  Bras  d'Or  ; 
in  one's  own  coach,  as  it  were,  traversing  such  old 
historic  ground.  For  the  very  name,  and  its  asso 
ciations,  carry  one  back  to  the  earliest  discoveries 
in  America,  carry  one  back  beyond  Plymouth  Rock 
to  the  earlier  French  adventurers  in  this  hemi- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  201 

sphere ;  yea,  almost  to  the  times  of  Richard  Crook- 
back  ;  for  on  the  neighboring  shores,  as  the  English 
claim,  Cabot  first  landed,  and  named  the  place 
Prima  Vista,  in  the  days  of  Henry  the  Seventh, 
the  "Richmond"  of  history  and  tragedy. 

"  Le  Bras  d'Or  !  John  Ormond,  do  you  not  think 
le  Bras  d'Or  sounds  much  like  Labrador  ?" 

"  'Deed  does  it,"  answered  John. 

"  And  why  not  ?  That  mysterious,  geological 
coast  is  only  four  days'  sail  from  Sydney,  I  take  it  ? 
Labrador !  with  its  auks  and  puffins,  its  seals  and 
sea-tigers,  its  whales  and  walruses  ?  Why  not  an 
offshoot  of  le  Bras  d'Or,  its  earlier  brother  in  the 
family  of  discovery.  But  drive  on,  John  Ormond, 
we  will  leave  etymology  to  the  pedants." 

"Well,  well,  ancient  or  modern,  there  is  not 
a  lovelier  ride  by  white-pebbled  beach  and  wide 
stretch  of  wave.  Now  we  roll  along  amidst  pri 
meval  trees,  not  the  evergreens  of  the  sea-coast, 
but  familiar  growths  of  maple,  beech,  birch  ;  and 
larches,  juniper  or  hacmatack — imperishable  for  ship 
craft.  Now  we  cross  bridges,  over  sparkling  brooks, 
alive  with  trout  and  salmon,  and  most  surprising  of 
all,  pregnant  with  water-power.  "  Surprising,"  be 
cause  no  motive-power  can  be  presented  to  the  eye 
of  a  citizen  of  the  young  republic  without  the  cor 
responding  thought  of  "Why  not  use  it?"  And 

9* 


202  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

why  not,  when  Bras  d'Or  is  so  near,  or  the  sea-coast 
either,  and  land  at  forty  cents  an  acre,  and  trees  as 
closely  set,  and  as  lofty,  as  ever  nature  planted 
them  ?  Of  a  certainty,  there  would  be  a  thousand 
saw-mills  screaming  between  this  and  Canseau  if  a 
drop  of  Yankee  blood  had  ever  fertilized  this  soil. 

Well,  well,  perhaps  it  is  well.  But  yet  to  ride 
through  a  hundred  miles  of  denationalized,  high- 
cheeked,  red,  or  black-headed  Highlandmen,  with 
illustrious  names,  in  breeches  and  round  hats,  with 
out  pistols  or  feathers,  is  a  sorry  sight.  JSTot  one  of 
these  McGregors  can  earn  more  than  five  shillings 
a  day,  currency,  as  a  laborer.  Not  a  digger  upon 
our  canals  but  can  do  better  than  that ;  and  with 
the  chance  of  rising.  But  here  there  seems  be  no 
such  opportunity.  The  colonial  system  provides 
that  every  settler  shall  have  a  grant  of  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  in  fee,  and  free.  "What 
then?  the  Government  fosters  and  protects  him. 
It  sends  out  annually  choice  stocks  of  cattle,  at  a 
nominal  price  ;  it  establishes  a  tariff  -of  duties  on 
foreign  goods,  so  low  that  the  revenue  derived  there 
from  is  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  salaries  of  its  offi 
cers.  "What  then  ?  The  colonist  is  only  a  parasite 
with  all  these  advantages.  He  is  not  an  integral 
part  of  a  nation  ;  a  citizen,  responsible  for  his  fran 
chise.  He  is  but  a  colonial  Micmac,  or  Scotch- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  203 

Mac ;  a  mere  sub-thoughted,  irresponsible  exotic, 
in  a  governmental  cold  grapery.  By  the  great  fore 
finger  of  Tom  Jefferson,  I  would  rather  be  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States  than  own  all  the  five-shilling 
Blue  Noses  between  Sydney  and  Canseau ! 

As  we  roll  along  up  hill  and  down,  a  startling  flash 
of  sun-light  bursts  forth  from  the  dewy  morning 
clouds,  and  touches  lake,  island,  and  promontory, 
with  inexpressible  beauty.  Stop,  John  Ormond,  or 
drive  slowly;  let  us  enjoy  dolcefar  niente.  To  hang 
now  in  our  curricle  upon  this  wooded  hill-top,  over 
looking  the  clear  surface  of  the  lake,  with  leafy  is 
land,  and  peninsula  dotted  in  its  depths,  in  all  its 
native  grace,  without  a  touch  or  trace  of  hand-work, 
far  or  near,  save  and  except  a  single  spot  of  sail  in 
the  far-off,  is  holy  and  sublime. 

And  there  we  rested,  reverentially  impressed 
with  the  week-day  sabbath.  We  lingered  long  and 
lovingly  upon  our  woody  promontory,  our  eyrie 
among  the  spruces  of  Cape  Breton. 

"  Clear,  placid  Leman  !  thy  contrasted  lake, 
With  the  wild  world  I  dwelt  in,  is  a  thing 
Which  warns  me,  with  its  stillness,  to  forsake 
Earth's  troubled  waters  for  a  purer  spring." 

Down  hill  go  horses  and  mail-coach,  and  we  are 
lost  in  a  vast  avenue  of  twinkling  birches.  For 


204:  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

miles  we  ride  within  breast-high,  hedges  of  sunny 
shrubs,  until  we  reach  another  promontory,  where 
Bras  d'Or  again  breaks  forth,  with  bay,  island,  white 
beach,  peninsula,  and  sparkling  cove.  And  before 
us,  bowered  in  trees,  lies  Chapel  Island,  the  Mic- 
mac  Mecca,  with  its  Catholic  Church  and  conse 
crated  ground.  Here  at  certain  seasons  the  red  men 
come  to  worship  the  white  CHRIST.  Here  the  west 
ern  descendants  of  Ishmael  pitch  their  bark  tents, 
and  swing  their  barbaric  censers  before  the  Asiatic- 
born  REDEEMER.  "  They  that  dwell  in  the  wilder 
ness  shall  bow  before  HIM."  That  gathering  must 
be  a  touching  sermon  to  the  heart  of  faith ! 

But  we  roll  onwards,  and  now  are  again  on  the 
clearings,  among  the  log-cabins  of  the  Highland- 
men.  Although  every  settler  has  his  governmental 
farm,  yet  nearly  the  whole  of  it  is  still  in  forest-land. 
A  log  hut  and  cleared-acre  lot,  with  Flora  Hclvor's 
grubbing,  hoeing,  or  chopping,  while  their  idle  lords 
and  masters  trot  beside  the  mail-coach  to  hear  the 
news,  are  the  only  results  of  the  home  patronage. 
At  last  we  come  to  a  gentle  declivity,  a  bridge  lies 
below  us,  a  wider  brook ;  we  cross  over  to  find  a 
cosy  inn  and  a  rosy  landlord  on  the  other  side  ;  and 
John  Orrnond  lays  down  the  ribbons,  after  a  sixty- 
mile  drive,  to  say  :  "This  is  St.  Peter's." 

Now  so  far  as  the  old-fashioned  inns  of  New  Scot 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  205 

land  are  concerned,  I  must  say  they  make  me 
ashamed  of  our  own.  Soap,  sand,  and  water,  do  not 
cost  so  much  as  carpets,  curtains,  and  fly-blown  mir 
rors  ;  but  still,  to  the  jaded  traveller,  they  have  a 
more  attractive  aspect.  "We  sit  before  a  snow-white 
table  without  a  cloth,  in  the  inn-parlor,  kitchen, 
laundry,  and  dining-room,  all  in  one,  just  over 
against  the  end  of  the  lake  ;  and  enjoy  a  rasher  of 
bacon  and  eggs  with  as  much  gusto  as  if  we  were  in 
the  midst  of  a  palace  of  fresco.  Ornamental  eating 
has  become  with  us  a  species  of  gaudy,  ostentatious 
vulgarity ;  and  a  dining-room  a  sort  of  fool's 
paradise.  I  never  think  of  the  little  simple  meal  at 
St.  Peter's  now,  without  tenderness  and  respect. 

Here  we  change — driver,  stage,  and  horses. 
Still  no  other  passenger.  The  new  whip  is  a  Yan 
kee  from  the  State  of  Maine ;  a  tall,  black-eyed, 
taciturn  fellow,  with  gold  rings  in  his  ears.  Now 
we  pass  the  narrow  strip  of  land  that  divides  Bras 
d'Or  from  the  ocean.  It  is  only  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  wide  between  water  and  water,  and  look  at 
Enterprise  digging  out  a  canal !  By  the  bronze  sta 
tue  of  De  "Witt  Clinton,  if  there  are  not  three  of  the 
five-shilling  Eob  Eoys  at  work,  with  two  shovels, 
a  horse,  and  one  cart ! 

As  we  approach  Canseau  the  landscape  becomes 
flat  and  uninteresting ;  but  distant  ranges  of  moun- 


206  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

tains  rise  up  against  the  evening  sky,  and  as  we 
travel  on  towards  their  bases  they  attract  the  eye 
more  and  more.  Ear-rings  is  not  very  communica 
tive.  He  does  not  know  the  names  of  any  of  them. 
Does  not  know  how  high  they  are,  but  has  heard 
say  they  are  the  highest  mountains  in  Nova  Scotia. 
"  Are  those  the  mountains  of  Canseau  ?"  Yes, 
them's  them.  So  with  renewed  anticipations  we  ride 
on  towards  the  strait  "  of  unrivalled  beauty,"  that 
travellers  say  "  surpasses  anything  in  America." 

And,  indeed,  Canseau  can  have  my  feeble  testi 
mony  in  confirmation.  It  is  a  grand  marine  high 
way,  having  steep  hills  on  the  Cape  Breton  Island 
side,  and  lofty  mountains  on  the  other  shore;  a 
full,  broad,  mile-wide  space  between  them ;  and 
reaching  from  end  to  end,  fifteen  miles,  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  As  I  took 
leave  of  Ear-rings,  at  Plaister  Cove,  and  wrapped 
myself  up  in  my  cloak  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the 
row-boat  to  cross  the  strait,  the  full  Acadian  moon, 
larger  than  any  United  States  moon,  rose  out  of  her 
sea-fog,  and  touched  mountain,  height,  and  billow, 
with  effulgence.  It  was  a  scene  of  Miltonic  gran 
deur.  After  the  ruined  walls  of  Louisburgh,  and 
the  dark  caverns  of  Sydney,  comes  Canseau,  with 
its  startling  splendors !  Truly  this  is  a  wonderful 
country. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  207 

Another  night  in  a  clean  Nova-Scotian  inn  on 
the  mountain-side,  a  deep  sleep,  and  balmy  awaken 
ing  in  the  clear  air.  Yet  some  exceptions  must  be 
taken  to  the  early  sun  in  this  latitude.  To  get  up 
at  two  o'clock  or  four  ;  to  ride  thirty  or  forty  miles 
to  breakfast,  with  a  convalescent  appetite,  is  pain 
ful.  But  yet,  "  to  him,  who  in  the  love  of  Nature 
holds  communion  with  her  visible  forms,  she  speaks 
a  various  language."  Admiration  and  convalescent 
hunger  make  a  very  good  team  in  this  beautiful 
country.  You  look  out  upon  the  unfathomable 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  feel  as  if  you  were  an 
unfathomable  gulf  yourself.  You  ride  through 
lofty  woods,  with  a  tantalizing  profusion  of  living 
edibles  in  your  path  ;  at  every  moment  a  cock-rab 
bit  is  saying  his  prayers  before  the  horses  ;  at  every 
bosk  and  bole  a  squirrel  stares  at  you  with  unwink 
ing  eyes,  and  Eobin  Yellow-bill  hops,  runs,  and 
flies  before  the  coach  within  reach  of  the  driver's 
whip,  sans  peur !  And  this  too  is  the  land  of 
moose  and  cariboo:  here  the  hunters,  on  snow- 
shoes,  track  the  huge  animals  in  the  season ;  and 
moose  and  cariboo,  in  the  Halifax  markets,  are 
cheaper  than  beef  with  us.  And  to  think  this 
place  is  only  a  four  days'  journey  from  the  metro 
polis,  in  the  languid  winter  !  By  the  ashes  of  Nim- 
rod,  I  will  launch  myself  on  a  pair  of  snow-shoes, 
and  shoot  a  moose  in  the  snow  before  I  am  twelve 


208  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

months  older,  as  sure  as  these  ponies  carry  us  to 
breakfast ! 

"  How  far  are  we  from  breakfast,  driver  ?" 

"  Twenty  miles,"  quoth  Jehu. 

Now  I  had  been  anxious  to  get  a  sight  of  our 
ponies,  for  the  sake  of  estimating  their  speed  and 
endurance ;  but  at  this  time  they  were  not  in  sight. 
For  the  coach  we  (three  passengers)  were  in,  was 
built  like  an  omnibus-sleigh  on  wheels,  with  a  high 
seat  and  "  dasher  "  in  front,  so  that  we  could  not 
see  what  it  was  that  drew  our  ark,  and  therefore  I 
climbed  up  in  the  driver's  perch  to  overlook  our 
motors.  There  were  four  of  them;  little,  shaggy, 
black  ponies,  with  bunchy  manes  and  fetlocks,  not 
much  larger  than  Newfoundland  dogs.  Yet  they 
swept  us  along  the  road  as  rapidly  as  if  they  w^ere 
full-sized  horses,  up  hill  and  down,  without  visible 
signs  of  fatigue.  And  now  we  passed  through 
another  French  settlement,  "  Tracadie,"  and  again 
the  Norman  kirtle  and  petticoat  of  the  pastoral, 
black-eyed  Evangelines  appear,  and  then  pass 
like  a  day-dream.  And  now  we  are  in  an  English 
settlement,  where  we  enjoy  a  substantial  breakfast, 
and  then  again  ride  through  the  primeval  woods, 
with  an  occasional  glimpse  of  the  broad  Gulf  and 
its  mountain  scenery,  until  we  come  upon  a  pretty 
inland  village,  by  name  Antigonish. 

At  Antigonish,  we  find  a  bridal  party,  and  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  209 

pretty  English  landlady  offers  us  wine  and  cake 
with  hospitable  welcome ;  and  a  jovial  time  of  it 
we  have  until  we  are  summoned,  by  crack  of  whip, 
to  ride  over  to  West  River. 

I  must  say  that  the  natural  prejudices  we  have 
against  Nova  Scotia  are  ill-placed,  unjust,  and 
groundless.  The  country  itself  is  the  great  redeem 
ing  feature  of  the  province,  and  a  very  large  por 
tion  of  it  is  uninfested  by  Scotchmen.  Take  for 
instance  the  road  we  are  now  travelling.  For 
hours  we  bowl  along  a  smooth  turnpike,  in  the 
midst  of  a  deep  forest :  although  scarce  a  week  has 
elapsed  since  these  gigantic  trees  were  leafless,  yet 
the  foliage  has  sprung  forth  as  it  were  with  a  touch, 
and  now  the  canopy  of  leaves  about  us,  and  over 
head,  is  so  dense  as  scarcely  to  afford  a  twinkle  of 
light  from  the  sun.  Sometimes  we  ride  by  start 
ling  precipices  and  winding  streams;  sometimes 
overlook  an.  English  settlement,  with  its  rolling 
pasture-lands,  bare  of  trees  and  rich  in  verdure. 
At,  last  we  approach  the  precincts  of  Northumber 
land  Strait,  and  are  cleverly  carried  into  New 
Glasgow.  It  is  fast-day,  and  the  shops  are  closed 
in  Sabbath  stillness ;  but  on  the  sign-boards  of  the 
village  one  reads  the  historic  names  of  "  Ross  "  and 
"Cameron;"  and  "Graham,"  "McGregor"  and 
"  McDonald."  What  a  pleasant  thing  it  must  be 


210  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

to  live  in  that  village  !  Here  too  I  saw  for  the  first 
time  in  the  province  a  thistle !  But  it  was  a  silver- 
plated  one,  in  the  blue  bonnet  of  a  Apothecary's 
boy."  A  metallic  effigy  of  the  ORIGINAL  PLANT, 
that  had  bloomed  some  generations  ago  in  native 
land.  There  was  poetry. in  it,  however,  even  on 
the  brow  of  an  incipient  apothecary. 

When  we  had  put  New  Glasgow  behind  us,  we 
felt  relieved,  and  rode  along  the  marshes  on  the 
border  of  the  strait  that  divides  the  Province  from 
Prince  Edward's  Island,  so  named  in  honor  of  his 
graceless  highness  the  Duke  of  Kent,  Edward,  fa 
ther  of  our  Queen  Yictoria.  Thence  we  came  forth 
upon  higher  ground,  the  coal-mines  of  Pictou  ;  and 
here  is  the  great  Pictou  railway,  from  the  mines  to 
the  town,  six  miles  in  length.  Then  by  rolling 
hill  and  dale  down  to  West  River,  where  John 
Frazer  keeps  the  Twelve-Mile  House.  This  inn  is 
clean  and  commodious ;  only  twelve  miles  from 
Pictou  ;  and,  reader,  I  would  advise  you,  as  twelve 
miles  is  but  a  short  distance,  to  go  to  Pictou  with 
out  stopping  at  West  River.  For  John  Frazer's  is 
a  house  of  petty  annoyances.  From  the  moment 
you  enter,  you  feel  the  insolence  of  the  surly,  snarl 
ing  landlord,  and  his  no  less  gifted  lady  ;  the  same 
old  greed  which  has  no  eye  except  for  money ;  the 
miserly  table,  for  which  you  are  obliged  to  pay  be- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  211 

fore  hand  ;  the  lack  of  attendance ;  the  abundance 
of  impertinence.  Just  as  you  are  getting  into  bed 
you  are  peremptorily  called  to  the  door  to  pay  for 
your  room,  which  haply  you  had  forgotten ;  if  you 
want  your  boots  brushed  the  answer  is,  "Perhaps" 
— if  you  request  them  to  call  you  in  the  morning, 
for  the  only  stage,  they  say,  "  Just  as  it  happens ;" 
(indeed,  it  was  only  by  accident  that  the  stage- 
driver  discovered  he  had  one  more  trunk  than  his 
complement  of  passengers,  and  so  awoke  me  just  as 
the  coach  was  on  the  point  of  departure ;)  if  you 
can  submit  to  all  this,  then,  reader,  go  to  Twelve- 
Mile  House,  at  West  River. 

We  left  this  last  outpost  of  the  Scotch  settlements 
with  pleasure.  After  all,  there  is  a  secret  feeling 
of  joy  in  contrasting  one's  self  with  such  wretched, 
penurious,  mis-made  specimens  of  the  human  ani 
mal.  And  from  this  time  henceforth  I  shall  learn 
to  prize  my  own  language,  and  not  be  carried  away 
by  any  catch-penny  Scotch  synonyms,  such  as  the 
lift  for  the  sky,  and  the  gloamin  for  twilight.  And 
as  for  poortith  cauld,  and  pauky  chid,  I  leave  them 
to  those  who  can  appreciate  them  : 

"Farewell,  farewell,  beggarly  Scotland, 

Cold  and  beggarly  poor  countrie ; 
If  ever  I  cross  thy  border  again, 
The  muckle  deil  maun  carry  me." 


212  A  GAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTEE    XII. 

The  Ride  from  West  River — A  Fellow  Passenger — Parallels  of  His 
tory — One  Hundred  Romances — Baron  de  Castine — His  Character 
— Made  Chief  of  the  Abenaquis — Duke  of  York's  Charter — 
Encroachments  of  the  Puritans — Church's  Indian  Wars — False 
Reports — Reflections. 

IT  would  make  a  curious  collection  of  pictures  if 
I  had  obtained  photographs  of  all  the  coaches 
I  travelled  in,  and  upon,  during  my  brief  sojourn 
in  the  province;  some  high,  some  low,  some  red, 
some  green,  or  yellow  as  it  chanced,  with  horses  few 
or  many,  often  superior  animals — stylish,  fast,  and 
sound ;  and  again,  the  most  diminutive  of  ponies, 
such  as  Monsieur  the  Clown  drives  into  the  ring  of 
his  canvass  coliseum  when  he  utters  the  pleasant 
salute  of  "  Here  I  am,  with  all  my  little  family  ?" 
This  morning  we  have  the  old,  familiar  stage-coach 
of  Yankee  land — red,  picked  out  with  yellow ;  high, 
narrow,  iron  steps;  broad  thoroughbraces ;  wide 
seats ;  all  jingle,  tip,  tilt,  and  rock,  from  one  end  of 
the  road  to  the  other.  My  fellow  traveller  on  the  box 
is  a  little  man  with  a  big  hat ;  soft  spoken,  sweet 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  213 

voiced,  and  excessively  shy  and  modest.  But  this 
was  a  most  pleasing  change  from  the  experiences 
of  the  last  few  hours,  let  me  tell  you ;  and,  if  you 
ever  travel  by  West  River,  you  will  find  any 
change  pleasant — no  matter  what. 

My  companion  was  shy,  but  not  taciturn  ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  could  talk  well  enough  after  the 
ice  was  broken,  and  long  enough,  too,  for  that  mat 
ter.  I  found  that  he  was  a  Church  of  England 
clergyman  by  profession,  and  a  "Welshman  by  birth. 
He  was  well  versed  in  the  earlier  history  of  the 
colony — that  portion  of  it  which  is  by  far  the  most 
interesting — I  mean  its  French  or  Acadian  period. 
"There  are  in  the  traditions  and  scattered  frag 
ments  of  history  that  yet  survive  in  this  once  un 
happy  land,"  he  said,  in  a  peculiarly  low  and  melli 
fluous  voice,  "  much  that  deserves  to  be  embalmed 
in  story  and  in  poetry.  Your  Longfellow  has 
already  preserved  one  of  the  most  touching  of  its 
incidents ;  but  I  think  I  am  safe  in  asserting  that 
there  yet  remain  the  materials  of  one  hundred 
romances.  Take  the  whole  history  of  Acadia 
during  the  seventeenth  century — the  almost  patri 
archal  simplicity  of  its  society,  the  kindness,  the 
innocence,  the  virtues  of  its  people ;  the  universal 
toleration  which  prevailed  among  them,  in  spite  of 
the  interference  of  the  home  government;  look," 


214:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

said  he,  "  at  the  perfect  and  abiding  faith  which 
existed  between  them  and  the  Indians !  Does  the 
world-renowned  story  of  William  Penn  alone  merit 
our  encomiums,  except  that  we  have  forgotten  this 
earlier  but  not  less  beautiful  example  ?  And  with  the 
true  spirit  of  Christianity,  when  they  refused  to  take 
up  arms  in  their  own  defence,  preferring  rather  to 
die  by  their  faith  than  shed  the  blood  of  other  men  ; 
to  what  parallel  in  history  can  wre  turn,  if  not  to  the 
martyred  Hussites,  for  whom  humanity  has  not  yet 
dried  all  its  tears  ?" 

As  he  said  this,  a  little  flush  passed  over  his  face, 
and  he  appeared  for  a  moment  as  if  surprised  at 
his  own  enthusiasm ;  then  shrinking  under  his  big 
hat  again,  he  relapsed  into  silence. 

We  rode  on  for  some  time  without  a  word  on 
either  side,  until  I  ventured  to  remark  that  I  coin 
cided  with  him  in  the  belief  that  Acadia  was  the 
romantic  ground  of  early  discovery  in  America; 
and  that  even  the  fluent  pen  of  Hawthorne  had 
failed  to  lend  a  charm  to  the  harsh,  repulsive,  acri 
monious  features  of  New  England's  colonial  history. 

"  I  have  read  but  one  book  of  Hawthorne's,"  said 
he — l  The  Scarlet  Letter.'  I  do  not  coincide  with 
you ;  I  think  that  to  be  a  remarkable  instance  of 
the  triumph  of  genius  over  difficulties.  By  the 
way,"  said  he,  "  speaking  of  authors,  what  an  ex- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  215 

quisite  poem  Tom  Moore  would  have  written,  had 
he  visited  Chapel  Island,  which  you  have  seen  no 
doubt  ?  (here  he  gave  a  little  nod  with  the  big  hat) 
and  what  a  rich  volume  would  have  dropped  from 
the  arabesque  pen  of  your  own  Irving  (another 
nod),  had  he  written  the  life  of  the  Baron  de  St. 
Castine,  chief  of  the  Abenaquis,  as  he  did  that  of 
Philip  of  Pokanoket." 

"  Do  you  know  the  particulars  of  that  history  ?" 
said  I. 

"I  do  not  know  the  particulars,"  he  replied, 
"  only  the  outlines  derived  from  chronicle  and  tra 
dition.  Imagination,"  he  added,  with  a  faint  smile, 
"  can  supply  the  rest,  just  as  an  engineer  pacing  a 
bastion  can  draw  from  it  the  proportions  of  the  rest 
of  the  fortress." 

And  then,  from  under  the  shelter  of  the  big  hat, 
there  came  low  and  sad  tones  of  music,  like  a 
requiem  over  a  bier,  upon  which  are  laid  funeral 
flowers,  and  sword,  and  plume ;  a  melancholy  voice 
almost  intoning  the  history  of  a  Christian  hero,  who 
had  been  the  chief  of  that  powerful  nation — the 
rightful  owners  of  the  fair  lands  around  us.  Even 
if  memory  could  now  supply  the  words,  it  would 
fail  to  reproduce  the  effect  conveyed  by  the  tones 
of  that  voice.  And  of  the  story  itself  I  can  but 
furnish  the  faint  outlines  : 


216  A CADI A,     OR    A    MONTH 

FAINT     OUTLINES. 

Baron  de  St.  Castine,  chief  of  the  Abenaquis,  was 
a  Frenchman,  born  in  the  little  village  of  Oberon, 
in  the  province  of  Beam,  about  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century.  Three  great  influences  con 
spired  to  make  him  unhappy — first,  education, 
which  at  that  time  was  held  to  be  a  reputable  part 
of  the  discipline  of  the  scions  of  noble  families ; 
next,  a  delicate  and  impressible  mind,  and  lastly, 
he  was  born  under  the  shadow  of  the  Pyrenees, 
and  within  sight  of  the  Atlantic.  He  had  also 
served  in  the  wars  of  Louis  XIV.  as  colonel  of  the 
Carrignan,  Cavignon,  or  Corignon  regiment ;  there 
fore,  from  his  military  education,  was  formed  to 
endure,  or  to  think  lightly  of  hardships.  •  Although 
not  by  profession  a  Protestant,  yet  he  was  a 
liberal  Catholic.  The  doctrines  of  Calvin  had  been 
spread  throughout  the  province  during  his  youth, 
and  John  la  Placette,  a  native  of  Beam,  was  then 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  free  churches  of  Copen 
hagen,  in  Denmark,  and  of  Utrecht,  in  Holland. 

But,  whatever  his  religious  prejudices  may 
have  been,  they  do  not  intrude  themselves  in 
any  part  of  his  career ;  we  know  him  only 
as  a  pure  Christian,  an  upright  man,  and  a 
faithful  friend  of  humanity.  Like  many  other 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  217 

Frenchmen  of  birth  and  education  in  those  days, 
the  Baron  de  St.  Castine  had  been  attracted  by 
descriptions  of  newly  discovered  countries  in  the 
western  hemisphere,  and  fascinated  by  the  ideal 
life  of  the  children  of  nature.  To  a  mind  at  once  sus 
ceptible  and  heroic,  impulsive  by  temperament,  and 
disciplined  to  endure,  such  promptings  have  a 
charm  that  is  irresistible.  As  the  chronicler 
relates,  he  preferred  the  forests  of  Acadia,  to  the 
Pyrenian  mountains  that  compassed  the  place  of 
his  nativity,  and  taking  up  his  abode  with  the 
savages,  on  the  first  year  behaved  himself  so 
among  them  as  to  draw  from  them  their  inexpressi 
ble  esteem.  He  married  a  woman  of  the  nation, 
but  repudiating  its  example,  did  not  change  his 
wife,  by  which  he  taught  his  wild  neighbors  that 
God  did  not  love  inconstancy.  By  this  woman, 
his  first  and  only  wife,  he  had  one  son  and 
two  daughters,  the  latter  were  afterwards  mar 
ried,  "  very  handsomely,  to  Frenchmen,  and  had 
good  dowries."  Of  the  son  there  is  preserved 
a  single  touching  incident.  In  person  the  baron 
was  strikingly  handsome,  a  fine  form,  a  well 
featured  face,  with  a  noble  expression  of  candor, 
firmness  and  benevolence.  Possessed  of  an  ample 
fortune,  he  used  it  to  enlarge  the  comforts  of  the 
people  of  his  adoption  ;  these  making  him  a  recom- 
10 


218  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

pense  in  beaver  skins  and  other  rich  furs,  from 
which  he  drew  a  still  larger  revenue,  to  be  in  turn 
again  devoted  to  the  objects  of  his  benevolence.  It 
was  said  of  him,  "that  he  can  draw  from  his 
coffers  two  or  three  hundred  thousand  crowns  of 
good  dry  gold  ;  but  all  the  use  he  makes  of  it  is  to 
buy  presents  for  liis  fellow  savages,  who,  upon  their 
return  from  hunting,  present  him  with  skins  to 
treble  the  value." 

Is  it  then  surprising  that  this  man,  so  wise,  so 
good,  so  faithful  to  his  fellow  savages,  should,  after 
twenty  years,  rise  to  the  most  eminent  station  in 
that  unsophisticated  nation?  That  indeed  these 
simple  Indians,  who  knew  no  arts  except  those  of 
peace  and  war,  should  have  looked  up  to  him  as 
their  tutular  god?  By  the  treaty  of  Breda,  the 
lands  from  the  Penobscot  to  Nova  Scotia  had  been 
ceded  to  France,  in  exchange  for  the  island  of  St. 
Christopher.  Upon  these  lands  the  Baron  de  St. 
Castine  had  peacefully  resided  for  many  years, 
until  a  new  patent  was  granted  to  the  Duke  of 
York,  the  boundaries  of  which  extended  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  lands  ceded  by  the  treaty.  Oh, 
those  patents !  those  patents !  What  wrongs  were 
perpetrated  by  those  remorseless  instruments  ;  what 
evil  councils  prevailed  when  they  were  hatched, 
what  corrupt,  what  base,  what  knavish  hands 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  219 

formed  them ;  what  vile,  what  ignoble,  what  pon 
derous  lies  has  history  assumed  to  maintain,  or  to 
excuse  them,  and  the  acts  committed  under  them  ? 

The  first  English  aggression  after  the  treaty,  was 
but  a  trifling  one  in  respect  to  immediate  effects. 
A  quantity  of  wine  having  been  landed  by  a 
French  vessel  upon  lands  not  covered  by  the  patent, 
was  seized  by  the  Duke  of  York's  agents.  This,  upon 
a  proper  representation  by  the  French  ambassador 
at  the  court  of  Charles  II.,  was  restored  to  the  right 
ful  owners.  But  thereupon  a  new  boundary  line 
was  run,  and  the  whole  of  Castings  plantations 
included  within  it.  Immediately  after  this,  the 
Hose  frigate,  under  the  command  of  Captain  An- 
dross,  sailed  up  the  Penobscot,  plundered  and  des 
troyed  Castine's  house  and  fort,  and  sailed  away 
with  all  his  arms  and  goods.  Not  only  this,  in 
truders  from  other  quarters  invaded  the  lands  of 
the  Indians,  took  possession  of  the  rivers,  and 
spoiled  the  fisheries  with  seines,  turned  their  cattle 
in  to  devour  the  standing  corn  of  the  Abenaquis, 
and  committed  other  depredations,  which,  although 
complained  of,  were  neither  inquired  into  nor 
redressed. 

Then  came  reprisals ;  and  first  the  savages  retali 
ated  by  killing  the  cattle  of  their  enemies.  Then 
followed  those  fearful  and  bloody  campaigns,  which, 


220  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

under  the  name  of  Church's  Indian  Wars,  disgrace 
the  early  annals  of  New  England.  Night  surprises, 
butcheries  that  spared  neither  age  nor  sex,  prison 
ers  taken  and  sold  abroad  into  slavery,  after  the 
glut  of  revenge  was  satiated,  these  to  return  and 
bring  with  them  an  inextinguishable  hatred  against 
the  English,  and  desire  of  revenge.  Anon  a  con 
spiracy  and  the  surprisal  of  Dover,  accompanied 
with  all  the  appalling  features-  of  barbaric  warfare 
— Major  Waldron  being  tied  down  by  the  Indians 
in  his  own  arm-chair,  and  each  one  of  them  draw 
ing  a  sharp  knife  across  his  breast,  says  with  the 
stroke,  "  Thus  I  cross  out  my  account ;"  these,  and 
other  atrocities,  on  either  side,  constitute  the  prin 
cipal  records  of  a  Christian  people,  who  professed 
to  be  only  pilgrims  and  sojourners  in  a  strange 
land — the  victims  of  persecution  in  their  own. 

During  all  this  dark  and  bloody  period,  no 
name  is  more  conspicuous  in  the  annals  than 
that  of  the  Chief  of  the  Abenaquis.  Like  a 
frightful  ogre,  he  hovers  in  the  background, 
deadly  and  ubiquitous — the  terror  of  the  colonies. 
It  was  he  who  had  stirred  up  the  Indians  to  do  the 
work.  Then  come  reports  of  a  massacre  in  some 
town  on  the  frontier,  and  with  it  is  coupled  a*  whis 
per  of  "  Castine  !"  a  fort  has  been  surprised,  he  is 
there !  Some  of  Church's  men  have  fallen  in  an 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  221 

ambuscade;  the  baron  has  planned  it,  and  fur 
nished  the  arms  and  ammunition  by  which  the 
deed  was  consummated !  Superstition  invests  him 
with  imaginary  powers ;  fanaticism  exclaims,  'tis  he 
who  had  taught  the  savages  to  believe  that  we  are 
the  people  who  crucified  the  Saviour. 

But  in  spite  of  all  these  stories,  the  wonderful 
Bernese  is  not  captured,  nor  indeed  seen  by  any, 
except  that  sometimes  an  English  prisoner  escap 
ing  from  the  enemy,  comes  to  tell  of  his  clemency 
and  tenderness;  he  has  bound  up  the  wounds  of 
these,  he  has  saved  the  lives  of  those.  At  last  a 
small  settlement  of  French  and  Indians  is  attacked 
by  Church's  men  at  Penobscot,  every  person  there 
being  either  killed  or  taken  prisoner;  among  the 
latter  a  daughter  of  the  great  baron,  with  her  chil 
dren,  from  whom  they  learn  that  her  unhappy 
father,  ruined  and  broken-hearted,  had  returned  to 
France,  the  victim  of  persecutors,  who,  under  the 
name  of  saints,  exhibited  a  cruelty  and  rapacity 
that  would  have  disgraced  the  reputation  of  a  Phi 
lip  or  an  Alva ! 

"It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  to  the  historical 
student,"  said  the  little  man,  "  that  with  a  people 
like  yours,  so  conspicuous  in  many  rare  examples 
of  erudition,  that  the  history  of  Acadia  has  not 
merited  a  closer  attention,  throwing  as  it  does  so 


ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

strong  a  reflective  light  upon  your  own.  Such  a 
task  doubtless  does  not  present  many  inviting  fea 
tures,  especially  to  those  who  would  preserve,  at 
any  sacrifice  of  truth,  the  earlier  pages  of  discovery 
in  America,  pure,  spotless,  and  unsullied.  But  I 
think  this  dark,  tragic  background  would  set  oif  all 
the  brighter  the  characters  of  those  really  good 
men  who  flourished  in  that  period,  of  whom  there 
were  no  doubt  many,  although  now  obscured  by  the 
dull,  dead  moonshine  of  indiscriminate  forefathers' 
flattery.  I  know  very  well  that  in  some  regards 
we  might  copy  the  example  of  a  few  of  the  first 
planters  of  New  England,  but  for  the  rest  I  believe 
with  Adam  Clark,  that  for  the  sake  of  humanity,  it 
were  better  that  such  ages  should  never  return." 

"We  talk  much,"  says  he,  "of  ancient  man 
ners,  their  simplicity  and  ingenuousness,  and  say 
that  the  former  days  were  better  than  these. 
But  who  says  this  who  is  a  judge  of  the  times? 
In  those  days  of  celebrated  simplicity,  there  were 
not  so  many  crimes  as  at  present,  I  grant;  but 
what  they  wanted  in  number,  they  made  up  in  de 
gree  ;  deceit,  cruelty,  rapine,  murder,  and  wrong  of 
almost  every  kind,  then  flourished.  We  are  refined 
in  our  vices,  they  were  gross  and  barbarous  in  theirs. 
They  had  neither  so  many  ways  nor  so  many  means 
of  sinning;  but  the  sum  of  their  moral  turpi- 


AOADIA,     OR    A    MONTH  223 

tude  was  greater  than  ours.  We  have  a  sort  of 
decency  and  good  breeding,  which  lay  a  certain 
restraint  on  our  passions;  they  were  boorish  and 
beastly,  and  their  bad  passions  ever  in  full  play. 
Civilization  prevents  barbarity  and  atrocity ;  men 
tal  cultivation  induces  decency  of  manners — those 
primitive  times  were  generally  without  these. 
Who  that  knows  them  would  wish  such  ages  to 
return  ?"* 

*  Adam  Clark's  "  Commentary  on  Book  of  Kings."    II.  Samuel, 
chap.  iii. 


224:  AC  AD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Truro — On  the  Road  to  Halifax — Drive  to  the  Left — A  Member  of 
the  Foreign  Legion — Irish  Wit  at  Government  Expense — The 
first  Battle  of  the  Legion — Ten  Pounds  Reward — Sir  John  Gas- 
pard's  Revenge — The  Shubenacadie  Lakes — Dartmouth  Ferry, 
and  the  Hotel  Waverley. 

PLEASANT  Truro !  At  last  we  regain  the  territories 
of  civility  and  civilization !  Here  is  the  honest 
little  English  inn,  with  its  cheerful  dining-room, 
its  clean  spread,  its  abundant  dishes,  its  glass  of 
ripe  ale,  its  pleased  alacrity  of  service.  After  our 
long  ride  from  West  Eiver,  we  enjoy  the  best 
inn's  best  room,  the  ease,  the  comfort,  and  the  fair 
aspect  of  one  of  the  prettiest  towns  in  the  pro 
vince.  Truro  is  situated  on  the  head  waters  of  the 
Basin  of  Minas,  or  Cobequid  Bay,  as  it  is  denomi 
nated  on  the  map,  between  the  Shubenacadie  and 
Salmon  rivers.  Here  we  are  within  fifty  miles  of 
the  idyllic  land,  the  pastoral  meadows  of  Grand 
Pre !  But,  alas !  there  is  yet  a  long  ride  before  us ; 
the  path  from  Truro  to  Grand  Pr6  being  in  the 
shape  of  an  acute  angle,  of  which  Halifax  is  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  225 

apex.  As  yet  there  is  no  direct  road  from  place  to 
place,  but  by  the  shores  of  the  Basin  of  Minas.  Let 
us  look,  however,  at  pleasant  Truro. 

One  of  the  striking  features  of  this  part  of  the 
country  is  the  peculiarity  of  the  rivers ;  these  are 
full  or  empty,  with  every  flux  and  reflux  of  the 
tide;  for  instance,  when  we  crossed  the  Salmon, 
we  saw  only  a  high,  broad,  muddy  ditch,  drained 
to  the  very  bottom.  This  is  owing  to  the  ocean 
tides,  which,  sweeping  up  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  pour 
into  the  Basin  of  Minas,  and  fill  all  its  tributary 
streams;  then,  with  prodigal  reaction,  sweeping 
forth  again,  leave  only  the  vacant  channels  of 
the  rivers — if  they  may  be  called  by  that  name. 
This  peculiar  feature  of  hydrography  is  of  course 
local — limited  to  this  section  of  the  province — 
indeed  if  it  be  not  to  this  corner  of  the  world. 
The  country  surrounding  the  village  is  well  culti 
vated,  diversified  with  rolling  hill  and  dale,  and 
although  I  had  not  the  opportunity  of  seeing  much 
of  it,  yet  the  mere  description  of  its  natural  scenery 
was  sufficiently  tempting.  Here,  too,  I  saw  some 
thing  that  reminded  me  of  home — a  clump  of  cedar- 
trees  !  These  of  course  were  exotics,  brought,  not 
without  expense,  from  the  States,  planted  in  the 
courtyard  of  a  little  aristocratic  cottage,  and  pro 
tected  in  winter  by  warm  overcoats  of  wheat  straw, 

10* 


226  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

So  we  go  !  Here  they  grub  up  larches  and  spruces 
to  plant  cedars. 

The  mail  coach  was  soon  at  the  door  of  our  inn, 
and  after  taking  leave  of  my  fellow-traveller  with 
the  big  hat,  I  engaged  a  seat  on  the  stage-box 
beside  Jeangros,  a  French  Canadian,  or  Canuck — 
one  of  the  best  whips  on  the  line.  Jeangros  is  not 
a  great  portly  fellow,  as  his  name  would  seem  to 
indicate,  but  a  spare,  small  man — nevertheless  with 
an  air  of  great  courage  and  command.  Jeangros 
touched  up  the  leaders,  the  mail-coach  rattled 
through  the  street  of  the  town,  and  off  we  trotted 
from  Truro  into  the  pleasant  road  that  leads  to 
Halifax. 

One  thing  I  observed  in  the  province  especially 
worthy  of  imitation — the  old  English  practice  of 
turning  to  the  left  in  driving,  instead  of  to  the 
right,  as  we  do.  Let  me  exhibit  the  merits  of  the 
respective  systems  by  a  brief  diagram.  By  the 
English  system  they  drive  thus : 


The  arrows  represent  the  drivers,  as  well  as  the 
directions  of  the  vehicles ;   of  course  when  two 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  227 

vehicles,  coming  in  opposite  directions,  pass  each 
other  on  the  road,  each  driver  is  nearest  the  point  of 
contact,  and  can  see  readily,  and  provide  against  ac 
cidents.  Now  contrast  our  system  with  the  former  : 


no  wonder  we  have  so  many  collisions. 

"  The  rule  of  the  road  is  a  paradox  quite, 

In  driving  your  carriage  along, 
If  you  keep  to  the  left,  you  are  sure  to  go  right, 
If  you  keep  to  the  right,  you  go  wrong." 

It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  our  present  senseless 
laws  were  reversed  in  this  matter,  and  a  few  lives 
saved,  and  a  few  broken  limbs  prevented. 

"When  I  took  leave  of  my  native  country  for  a 
short  sojourn  in  this  province,  the  great  question 
then  before  the  public  was  the  invasion  of  interna 
tional  law,  by  the  British  minister  and  a  whole 
solar  system  of  British  consuls.  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  being  a  fellow  exile  on  the  Canada-  with  Mr. 
Crampton,  Mr.  Barclay,  and  Mr.  -  — ,  Her  British 
Majesty's  representatives,  and  of  course  felt  no  little 
interest  to  know  the  fate  of  the  Foreign  Legion. 


ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

Before  I  left  Halifax,  I  learned  some  particulars 
of  that  famous  flock  of  jail  birds.  All  that  we 
knew,  at  home,  was  that  a  number  of  recruits  for 
the  Crimea  had  been  picked  up  in  the  streets  and 
alleys  of  Columbia,  and  carried,  at  an  enormous 
expense,  to  Halifax,  there  to  be  enrolled.  And 
also,  that  as  a  mere  cover  to  this  infraction  of  the 
law  of  Neutrality,  the  men  were  engaged  as  labor 
ers,  to  work  upon  the  public  improvements  of  Nova 
Scotia.  The  sequel  of  that  enterprise  remained  to 
be  told.  A  majority  of  these  recruits  were  Irish 
men — some  of  them  not  wanting  in  the  mother  wit 
of  the  race.  So  when  they  were  gathered  in  the 
great  province  building  at  Halifax,  and  Sir  John 
Gaspard  le  Marchantj  in  chapeau,  feather  and  sword, 
came  down  to  review  his  levies,  with  great  spirit 
and  military  pomp,  "Well,  my  men,"  said  he,  "you 
are  here  to  enlist,  eh,  and  serve  Her  Majesty?" 
To  which  the  spokesman  of  the  Foreign  Legion, 
fully  understanding  the  beauty  of  his  position, 
replied,  with  a  sly  twinkle  of  the  eye,  "  We  didn't 
engage  to  'list  at  all,  at  all,  but  to  wurruk  on  the  rail 
road."  Upon  which  Sir  John  Gaspard,  seeing  that 
Her  Majesty  had  been  imposed  upon,  politely  told 
the  legion  to  go  to  ——Dante's  Inferno. 

Now  whether  the  place  to  which  the  Foreign 
Legion  was  consigned  by  Sir  John  Gaspard,  pos- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  229 

sessed  even  less  attractions  than  Halifax,  or  from 
whatever  reason  soever,  it  chanced  that  the  jolly 
boys,  raked  from  our  alleys  and  jails,  never  stirred 
a  foot  out  of  the  province ;  and  while  the  peace  of 
the  whole  world  was  endangered  by  their  abduc 
tion,  as  that  of  Greece  and  Troy  had  been  by  the 
rape  of  Helen,  they  were  quietly  enlisting  in  less 
warlike  expeditions — in  fact,  engaging  themselves 
to  work  upon  that  great  railroad,  of  which  mention 
has  been  made  heretofore. 

Now  we  have  seen  something  of  the  clannish 
propensities  of  the  people  of  the  colonies,  and  the 
contractors  knew  what  sort  of  material  they  had 
to  deal  with.  And,  inasmuch  as  there  was  a 
pretty  large  group  of  five-shilling  Highlandmen, 
grading,  levelling,  and  filling  in  one  end  of  a  sec 
tion  of  the  road,  the  gang  of  Irishmen  was  placed 
at  the  opposite  end,  as  far  from  them  as  possi 
ble,  which  no  doubt  would  have  preserved  peace 
ful  relations  between  the  two,  but  for  the  fact,  that 
as  the  work  progressed  the  hostile  forces  naturally 
approached  each  other.  It  was  towards  the  close 
of  a  summer  evening,  that  the  ground  was  broken 
by  the  gentlemen  of  the  shamrock,  within  sight  of 
the  shanties  decorated  with  the  honorable  order  of 
the  thistle.  A  lovely  evening  in  the  month  of 
June !  Not  with  spumy  cannon  and  prickly  bayo 


230  ACADIA,     OB    A    MONTH 

nets,  but  with  peaceful  spade  and  mattock,  ad« 
vanced  the  sons  of  St.  Patrick  towards  the  children 
of  a  sister  isle.  Then  did  Roderick  Dhu  step  forth 
from  his  shanty,  and  inquire,  in  choice  Gaelic,  if  a 
person  named  Brian  Borheime  was  in  the  ranks  of 
the  approaching  forces.  Then  then  did  Brian 
Borheime  advance,  spade  in  hand,  and  with  a  sin 
gle  spat  of  his  implement  level  Roderick,  as  though 
he  had  been  a  piece  of  turf.  Then  was  Brian 
flattened  out  by  the  spade  of  Yich  Ian  Yohr  ;  and 
Yich  Ian  Yohr,  by  the  spade  of  Captain  Rock. 
Then  fell  Captain  Rock  by  the  spade  of  Rob  Roy ; 
and  Rob  Roy  smelt  the  earth  under  the  spade  of 
Handy  Andy.  In  a  word,  the  fight  became 
general — the  bagpipe  blew  to  arms — Celt  joined 
Celt,  there  was  the  tug  of  war ;  but  the  sun  set 
upon  the  lowered  standard  of  the  thistle,  and  vic 
tory  proclaimed  Shamrock  the  conqueror.  Several 
of  the  natives  were  left  for  dead  upon  the  field  of 
battle,  the  triumphant  Irish  ran  away,  to  a  man, 
to  avoid  the  consequences,  and  I  blush  to  say  it, 
as  I  do  to  record  any  act  of  heartless  ingratitude, 
handbills  were  speedily  posted  up  by  the  order  of 
government,  offering  a  reward  of  ten  pounds  apiece 
for  the  capture  of  certain  members  of  the  Foreign 
Legion,  who  had  been  the  ringleaders  in  the  riot, 
which  handbill  was  not  only  signed  by  that  seducer 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  231 

of  soldiers,  Sir  John  Gaspard  le  Mar  chant,  but  also 
ornamented  with  the  horn  of  the  unicorn  and  the 
claws  of  the  British  lion. 

But  there  is  a  Nemesis  even  in  Nova  Scotia,  for 
this  riot  produced  effects,  unwonted  and  unlocked 
for.  One  of  the  prominent  leaders  in  the  Nova 
Scotia  Parliament,  a  gentleman  distinguished  both 
as  an  orator  and  as  a  poet — the  Hon.  Joseph  Howe, 
who  had  signalized  himself  as  an  advocate  of  the 
right  of  Her  Majesty  to  recruit  for  the  Crimea  in 
the  streets  of  Columbia,  and  was  ready  to  pit  the 
British  Lion  against  the  American  Eagle  in  support 
of  that  right,  fell  by  the  very  legion  he  had  been  so 
zealous  to  create.  The  Hon.  Joseph  Howe,  M.  P., 
by  the  support  of  the  Irish  population,  could  always 
command  a  popular  majority  and  keep  his  seat  in 
the  house,  so  long  as  he  maintained  his  loyalty  to 
this  votive  class  of  citizens.  But,  unfortunately, 
Hon.  Joseph  Howe,  in  alluding  to  the  riot,  took  the 
Scotch  side  of  the  broil.  This  was  sufficient.  At 
the  election  following  he  was  a  defeated  candidate, 
and  politely  advised  to  retire  to  private  life.  Thus 
was  the  Hon.  J.  H.  "  hoist  by  his  own  petard,"  the 
first  man  to  fall  by  this  expensive  military  com 
pany. 

An  adventure  upon  the  Shubenacadie  brought 
one  of  these  heroes  into  prominent  relief.  After 


ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

we  had  parted  from  pleasant  Truro,  at  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  road,  there  seemed  to  be  a  pas 
senger  waiting  for  the  Halifax  coach.  So  that  the 
top  of  the  vehicle  was  soon  filled  with  dusty  fellow- 
travellers,  and  Jeangros  was  getting  to  be  a  little 
impatient.  Just  as  we  turned  into  the  densest  part 
of  the  forest,  where  the  evening  sun  was  most 
obscured  by  the  close  foliage,  we  saw  two  men,  one 
decorated  with  a  pair  of  handcuffs,  and  the  other 
armed  with  a  brace  of  pistols.  The  latter  hailed 
the  coach. 

"  What  d'ye  want  ?"  quoth  Jeangros,  drawing  up 
by  the  roadside. 

"  Government  prisoner,"  said  the  man  with  the 
pistols. 

"  What  the is  government  prisoner  to  me  ?" 

quoth  Jeangros. 

"I  want  to  take  him  to  Dartmouth,"  said  the  tall 
policeman. 

"Then  take  him  there,"  said  our  jolly  driver, 
shaking  up  the  leaders. 

"  Hold  up,"  shouted  out  the  tall  policeman,  "  I 
will  pay  his  fare." 

"Why  didn't  you  say  so,  then?"  replied  Jean 
gros,  full  of  the  dignity  of  his  position  as  driver  of 
H.  B.  M.  Mail-coach,  before  whose  tin  horn  every 
thing  must  get  out  of  the  way. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  233 

There  was  a  doubt  which  was  the  drunkenest, 
the  officer  or  the  prisoner.  We  found  out  after 
wards  that  the  officer  had  conciliated  his  captive 
with  drink,  partly  to  keep  him  friendly  in  case  of 
an  attempted  rescue,  and  partly  to  get  him  in  such 
a  state  that  running  away  would  be  impracticable. 
And,  indeed,  there  would  have  been  a  great  race 
if  the  prisoner  had  attempted  to  escape.  The 
prisoner  too  drunk  to  run — the  officer  too  drunk  to 
pursue. 

The  pair  had  scarcely  crawled  up  among  the  lug 
gage  upon  the  stage-top,  before  there  was  an  out 
cry  from  the  passengers  on  the  box  in  front — 
"  Uncock  your  pistols !  uncock  your  pistols !"  for 
the  officer  had  dropped  his  fire-arms,  cocked  and 
capped,  upon  the  top  of  our  coach,  with  the 
muzzles  pointed  towards  us.  And  indeed  I  may 
affirm  here,  that  I  never  saw  metallic  cylinders 
with  more  menacing  aspect,  than  those  which  lay 
quietly  behind  us,  ready  to  explode — unconscious 
instruments  as  they  were — and  carry  any  of  the 
party  into  the  next  world  upon  the  slightest  lurch 
of  the  stage-coach. 

"  Uncock  your  pistols,"  said  the  passengers. 

But  the  officer,  in  the  mellifluous  dialect  of  his 

mother  country,  replied  that  "  He'd  be if  he 

would.  Me  prishner,"  said  he,  "me  prishne* 


234:  A  0  A  D  I  A ,     OR    A    MONTH 

might  escape ;  or,  the  divil  knows  but  there  might 
be  a  rescue  come  to  him,  for  there's  a  good  many 
of  the  same  hereabouts." 

It  struck  me  that  no  person  upon  the  top  of  the 
stage-coach  was  so  particularly  interested  in  this 
dispute  as  the  member  of  the  Foreign  Legion, 
who  was  on  his  way  either  to  the  gallows  or  a  per 
petual  prison.  I  observed  that  he  nervously 
twitched  at  his  handcuffs,  perhaps — as  I  thought — 
to  prepare  for  escape  in  case  of  an  explosion ;  or 
else  to  be  ready  for  the  rescue;  or  else  to  take 
advantage  of  his  captor,  the  tall  policeman — jump 
from  the  stage,  and  run  for  dear  life  and  liberty. 
Never  was  I  more  mistaken.  True  to  his  race,  and 
to  tradition,  Pat  was  only  striving  to  free  himself 
from  the  leather  shackles,  in  order  to  fight  any  man 
who  was  an  enemy  to  his  friend  the  policeman,  and 
the  pistols,  that  were  cocked  to  shoot  himself.  But 
had  not  poor  Paddy  made  such  blunders  in  all  times  ? 
The  hubbub  increased,  a  terrific  contest  was  im 
pending;  the  travellers  below  poked  their  heads 
out  of  the  windows ;  there  was  every  prospect  of  a 
catastrophe  of  some  kind,  when  suddenly  Jeangros 
rose  to  his  feet,  and  said,  in  a  voice  clear  and 
sharp  through  the  tumult  as  an  electric  flash 
through  a  storm,  "  uncock  those  pistols,  or  I  will 
throw  you  from  the  top  of  the  coach  /" 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  235 

There  was  a  pause  instantly,  and  we  heard  the 
sharp  click  of  the  cocks,  as  they  were  lowered  in 
obedience  to  the  little  stage-driver.  It  had  a  won 
derful  power  of  command,  that  voice — soft  and 
clear,  but  brief,  decisive,  authoritative. 

It  is  quite  interesting  to  ride  fellow-passenger 
with  a  person  who  has  played  a  part  in  the  national 
drama,  but  more  villainous  face  I  never  saw. 
Mr.  Crampton,  with  whom  I  sailed  on  the  Canada, 
had  a  much  more  amiable  expression ;  indeed  I 
think  we  should  all  be  obliged  to  him  for  rid 
ding  us  of  at  least  a  portion  of  his  fellow-country 
men. 

But  now  we  ride  by  the  Shubenacadie  lakes,  a 
chain — a  bracelet — binding  the  province  from  the 
Basin  of  Minas  to  the  seaboard.  The  eye  never 
tires  of  this  lovely  feature  of  Acadia.  Lake  above 
lake — the  division,  the  isthmus  between,  not  wider 
than  the  breadth  of  your  India  shawl,  my  lady !  I 
must  declare  that,  all  in  all,  the  scenery  of  the  pro 
vince  is  surpassingly  beautiful.  As  you  ride  by 
these  sparkling  waters,  through  the  flowery,  bowery, 
woods,  you  feel  as  if  you  like  to  pitch  tent  here — at 
least  for  the  summer. 

And  now  we  approach  a  rustic  inn  by  the  road 
side,  rich  in  shrubbery  before  it,  and  green  moss 
from  ridge-pole  to  low  drooping  eaves,  where  wo 


236  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

change  horses.  And  as  we  rest  here  upon  the 
wooden  inn-porch,  dismounted  from  our  high  perch 
on  the  stage-coach,  we  see  right  above  us  against  the 
clear  evening  sky,  Her  Majesty's  ci-devant  partisan, 
now  prisoner — by  merit  raised  to  that  bad  emi 
nence.  The  officer  hands  him  a  glass  of  brandy,  to 
keep  up  his  spirits.  The  prisoner  takes  it,  and, 
lifting  the  glass  high  in  air,  shouts  out  with  the 
exultation  of  a  fiend  : 

"  Here's  to  the  hinges  of  liberty — may  they  never  want  oil, 
Nor  an  Orangeman's  bones  in  a  pot  for  to  boil." 

Once  more  upon  the  stage  to  Dartmouth, 
where  we  deposit  our  precious  fellow-travellers, 
and  then  to  the  ferry,  and  look  you!  across  the 
harbor,  the  twinkling  lights  of  dear  old  mouldy 
Halifax.  And  now  we  are  crossing  Chebucto,  and 
the  cab  carries  us  again  to  our  former  quarters  in 
the  Hotel  Waverley. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  237 


CHAPTEE  XIY. 

Halifax  agaia— Hotel  Waverley— "  Gone  the  Old  Familiar  Faces  " 
— The  Story  of  Marie  de  la  Tour. 

AGAIN  in  old  quarters!  It  is  strange  how  we 
become  attached  to  a  place,  be  it  what  it  may,  if 
we  only  have  known  it  before.  The  same  old 
room  we  occupied  years  ago,  however  comfortless 
then,  has  a  familiar  air  of  welcome  now.  There  is 
surely  some  little  trace  of  self,  some  unseen 
spider-thread  of  attachment  clinging  to  the  walls, 
the  old  chair,  the  forlorn  wash-stand,  and  the 
knobby  four-poster,  that  holds  the  hardest  of  beds, 
the  most  consumptive  of  pillows,  and  a  bolster  as 
round,  as  white,  and  as  hard,  as  a  cathedral  mass- 
candle.  Heigho,  Hotel  Waverley!  Here  am  I 
again ;  but  where  are  the  familiar  faces  ?  "Where 
the  brave  soldier  of  Inkerman  and  Balaklava? 
Where  the  jolly  old  Captain  of  the  native  rifles  ? 
Where  the  Colonel,  with  his  little  meerschaum 
pipe  he  was  so  intent  upon  coloring  ?  Where  the 
party  of  salmon-fishermen,  the  Solomons  of  pisca- 
tology  ?  Where  the  passengers  by  the  "  Canada  ? 


238  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

And  where  is  Picton?      Gone,   like    last    years 
birds  I" 

"  A  glass  of  ale,  Henry,  and  one  cigar,  only  one  / 
I  wish  to  be  solitary." 

I  like  this  bed-room  of  mine  at  the  "Waverley, 
with  its  blue  and  white  striped  curtain  at  the  win 
dow,  through  which  the  gas-lights  of  Halifax 
streets  appear  in  lucid  spots,  as  I  wait  for  Henry, 
with  the  candles.  Now  I  am  no  longer  alone.  I 
shut  my  chamber  door,  as  it  were,  upon  one  world, 
only  that  I  may  enjoy  another.  So  I  trim  the  can 
dles,  and  spread  out  the  writing  materials,  and  at 
once  the  characters  of  two  centuries  ago  awake, 
and  their  life  to  me  is  as  the  life  of  to-day. 

There  is  nothing  more  captivating  in  literature, 
than  the  narrative  of  some  heroic  deed  of  woman. 
Very  few  such  are  recorded ;  how  many  might  be, 
if  the  actors  themselves  had  not  shunned  notoriety, 
and  "  uncommended  died,"  rather  than  encounter 
the  ordeal  of  public  praise  ?  Of  such  the  poet  has 
written : 

"Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 

Of  such,  many  have  lived  and  died,  to  live  again 
only  in  fiction;  whereas  their  own  true  histories 
would  have  been  greater  than  the  inventions  of 
authors.  We  read  of  heroes  laden  with  the  "  glit- 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  239 

tering  spoils  of  empire,"  but  the  heroic  deeds  of 
woman  are  oftentimes,  all  in  all,  as  great,  without 
the  glitter ;  without  the  pomp  and  pageantry  of 
triumphal  processions;  without  the  pealing  trum 
pet  of  renown.  Boadicea,  chained  to  the  car  of 
Suetonius,  is  the  too  common  memorial  of  heroic 
womanity. 

The  story  I  relate  is  but  a  transcript,  a  mere  epi 
sode  in  the  sad  history  of  Acadia :  yet  the  record 
will  be  pleasing  to  those  who  estimate  the  merits  of 
brave  women.  This,  then,  is  the  legend  of 

MARIE   DE   LA   TOUR. 

In  the  year  1621,  Sir  William  Alexander,  after 
wards  Earl  of  Sterling,*  a  romantic  poet,  and 
favorite  of  King  James  I.,  was  presented 'by  that 
monarch  with  a  patent  to  all  the  land  known  as 
Acadia,  in  the  Americas.  .Royalty  in  those  days 
made  out  its  parchment  deeds  for  a  province, 
without  taking  the  trouble  to  search  the  record 
office,  to  see  if  there  were  any  prior  liens  upon  the 
territory.  The  good  old  rule  obtained  thus — 

"  That  they  may  take  who  have  the  power, 
And  they  may  keep  who  can." 

*  This  William  Alexander,  Earl  of  Sterling,  was  the  ancestor  of 
General  Lord  Sterling,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  officers  in  the 
American  Eevolution. 


240  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

or,  to  quote  the  words  of  another  writer — 

"  For  the  time  once  was  here,  to  all  be  it  known, 
That  all  a  man  sailed  by  or  saw  was  his  own." 

It  is  due  to  Sir  "William  Alexander  to  say  that  ho 
gave  the  province  the  proud  name  which  at  present 
it  enjoys,  of  Nova  Scotia,  or  New  Scotland,  a  title 
much  more  appropriate  than  that  of  "  Acadia,"  * 
which  to  us  means  nothing. 

At  this  time  the  French  Colony  was  slowly  recov 
ering  from  the  effects  of  the  Argall  expedition,  that 
eight  years  before  had  laid  waste  its  fair  possessions. 
Among  a  number  of  emigrants  from  the  Loire  and 
the  Seine,  two  gentlemen  of  birth  and  education, 
La  Tour  by  name,  father  and  son,  set  out  to  seek 
their  fortunes  in  the  New  World.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  in  the  original  patent  of  Acadia, 
given  by  Henry  IY.  to  De  Monts,  freedom  of 
religious  opinion  was  one  of  the  conditions  of  the 
grant,  and  therefore  the  fact,  that  both  the  La 
Tours  were  Huguenots,  did  not  prevent  them  hold 
ing  commissions  under  the  French  crown,  the  father 
having  in  charge  a  small  fleet  of  transports  then 
ready  to  sail  from  the  harbor  of  Brest ;  the  son, 

*  The  name  "  Acadie,"  is,  no  doubt,  a  primitive  word,  from  the 
Abenaqui  tongue — we  find  it  repeated  in  Tracadie,  Shubcnacadic, 
and  elsewhere  in  the  province. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES. 

being  the  commander  of  a  fort  and  garrison  at 
Cape  Sable,  upon  the  western  end  of  Acadia. 

Affairs  being  in  this  condition,  it  chanced  that  the 
English  and  French  ships  set  sail  for  the  same  port, 
at  about  the  same  time ;  and  it  so  happened  that  Sir 
William  Alexander's  fleet  meeting  with  the  elder 
La  Tour's  in  a  fog,  not  only  captured  that  gallant 
chieftain  but  also  his  transports,  munitions  of  war, 
stores,  artillery,  etc.  etc.,  and  sailed  back  with  the 
prizes  to  England.  I  beg  you  to  observe,  .my  dear 
reader,  that  occurrences  of  this  kind  were  common 
enough  at  this  period  evren  in  times  of  peace,  and  not 
considered  piracy  either,  the  ocean  was  looked  upon 
as  a  mighty  chessboard,  and  the  game  was  won  by 
those  who  could  command  the  largest  number  of 
pieces. 

Claude  de  la  Tour,  not  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  but 
as  an  enforced  guest  of  Sir  "William,  was  carried  to 
London,  and  there  robbed  of  his  goods,  but  treated 
like  a  gentleman,  introduced  at  Court,  although 
deprived  of  his  purse  and  liberty,  and  in  a  word, 
found  himself  surrounded  with  the  most  hostile  and 
hospitable  conditions  possible  in  life.  It  is  not  sur 
prising  then  that  with  true  French  philosophy  he 
should  have  made  the  best  of  it ;  gained  the  good 
will  of  the  queen,  played  off  a  little  'badinage  with 
the  ladies  of  the  court,  and  forgetting  the  late  Lady 
11 


242  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

de  la  Tour,  asleep  in  the  old  graveyard  in  the  city 
of  Rochelle,  essayed  to  wear  his  widower  weeds 
with  that  union  of  grace  and  sentiment  for  which 
his  countrymen  are  so  celebrated.  The  consequence 
was,  one  of  her  majesty's  maids  of  honor  fell  in 
love  with  him ;  the  queen  encouraged  the  match  ; 
the  king  had  just  instituted  the  new  order  of 
Knights  Baronet,  of  Nova  Scotia;  La  Tour,  now 
in  the  way  of  good  fortune,  was  the  first  to  be  hon 
ored  with  the  novel  title,  and  at  the  same  time 
placed  the  matrimonial  ring  upon  the  finger  of  the 
love-sick  maid  of  honor.  Indeed  Charles  Etienne  de 
la  Tour,  commandant  of  the  little  fort  at  Cape 
Sable,  had  scarcely  lost  a  father,  before  he  had 
gained  a  step-mother. 

That  the  French  widower  should  have  been  so 
captivated  by  these  marks  of  ro^al  favor  as  to 
lose  his  discretion,  in  the  fullness  of  Iiis  gratitude  ; 
and,  that  after  receiving  a  grant  of  land  from  his 
patron,  as  a  further  incentive,  he  should  volunteer 
to  assist  in  bringing  Acadia  under  the  British 
Crown,  and  as  a  primary  step,  undertake  to  reduce 
the  Fort  at  Cape  Sable ;  I  say,  that  when  I  state 
this,  nobody  will  be  surprised,  except  a  chosen  few, 
who  cherish  some  old-fashioned  notions,  in  these 
days  more  romantic  than  real.  "  Two  ships  of  war 
being  placed  under  his  command,"  he  set  sail,  with 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  243 

his  guns  and  a  Step-mother,  to  attack  the  Fort  at 
Cape  Sable.  The  latter  was  but  poorly  garrisoned ; 
but  then  it  contained  a  Daughter-in-law !  Under 
such  circumstances,  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  the 
contest  would  be  continued  to  the  last  ounce  of 
powder. 

Opening  the  trenches  before  the  French  fort,  and 
parading  his  Scotch  troops  in  the  eyes  of  his  son, 
the  elder  La  Tour  attempted  to  capture  the  garri 
son  by  argument.  In  vain  he  "  boasted  of  the 
reception  he  had  met  with  in  England,  of  his  inter 
est  at  court,  and  the  honor  of  knighthood  which 
had  been  conferred  upon  him."  In  vain  he  repre 
sented  "the  advantages  that  would  result  from 
submission,"  the  benefits  of  British  patronage ;  and 
paraded  before  the  eyes  of  the  young  commander 
the  parchment  grant,  the  seal,  the  royal  autograph, 
and  the  glittering  title  of  Knight  Baronet,  which 
had  inspired  his  perfidy.  His  son,  shocked  and 
indignant,  declined  the  proffered  honors  and  emolu 
ments  that  were  only  to  be  gained  by  an  act  of 
treason ;  and  intimated  his  intention  "  to  defend  the 
Fort  with  his  life,  sooner  than  deliver  it  up  to  the 
enemies  of  his  country."  The  father  used  the  most 
earnest  entreaties,  the  most  touching  and  parental 
arguments.  Charles  Etienne  was  proof  against 
these.  The  Baronet  alluded  to  the  large  force 


244  ACADIA.    OR    A    MONTH 

under  his  command,  and  deplored  the  necessity  of 
making  an  attack,  in  case  his  propositions  were 
rejected.  Charles  Etienne  only  doubled  his  senti 
nels,  and  stood  more  firmly  intrenched  upon  his 
honor.  Then  the  elder  La  Tour  ordered  an  assault. 
For  two  days  the  storm  continued ;  sometimes  the 
Mother-in-law  led  the  Scotch  soldiers  to  the  breach, 
but  the  French  soldiers,  under  the  Daughter-in-law, 
drove  them  back  with  such  bitter  fury,  that  of  the 
assailants  it  was  hard  to  say  which  numbered  most, 
the  living  or  the  dead.  At  last,  La  Tour  the  elder 
abandoned  the  siege ;  and  "  ashamed  to  appear  in 
England,  afraid  to  appear  in  France,"  accepted  the 
humiliating  alternative  of  requesting  an  asylum 
from  his  son.  Permission  to  reside  in  the  neighbor 
hood  was  granted  by  Charles  Etienne.  The  Scotch 
troops  were  reembarked  for  England ;  and  the 
younger  and  the  elder  Mrs.  de  la  Tour  smiled  at 
each  other  grimly  from  the  plain  and  from  the 
parapet.  Further  than  this  there  was  no  inter 
course  between  the  families.  Whenever  Marie  de 
la  Tour  sent  the  baby  to  grandmother,  it  went  with 
a  troop  of  cavalry  and  a  flag  •  of  truce  ;  and  when 
ever  Lady  de  la  Tour  left  her  card  at  the  gate,  the 
drums  beat,  and  the  guard  turned  out  with  fixed 
bayonets. 

Such  discipline  had  prepared  Marie  de  la  Tour 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  245 

for  the  heroic  part  which,  afterwards  raised  her  to 
the  historical  position  she  occupies  in  the  chronicles 
of  Acadia.  I  have  had  occasion  to  speak  of  free 
dom  of  opinion  existing  in  this  Province — but  for 
the  invasion  of  English  and  Scotch  filibusters,  this 
absolute  liberty  of  faith  would  have  produced  the 
happiest  fruits  in  the  new  colonies.  But  unfortun 
ately  in  a  weak  and  newly-settled  country,  union  in 
all  things  is  an  indispensable  condition  of  existence. 
This  very  liberty  of  opinion,  in  a  great  measure 
disintegrated  the  early  French  settlements,  and 
separated  a  people  which  otherwise  might  have 
encountered  successfully  its  rapacious  enemies. 

At  this  time  the  French  Governor  of  Acadia, 
Razillia,  died.  Charles  Etienne  la  Tour  as  a  subor 
dinate  officer,  had  full  command  of  the  eastern  part 
of  the  province,  as  the  Chevalier  d'Aulney  de 
Charnise,  had  of  the  western  portion,  extending  as 
far  as  the  Penobscot.  As  for  the  Sterling  patent, 
Sir  William,  finding  it  of  little  value,  had  sold  it  to 
the  elder  La  Tour,  but  the  defeated  adventurer  of 
Cape  Sable  by  the  treaty  of  St.  Germains  in  1632, 
was  stripped  of  his  new  possessions  by  King 
Charles  I.,  who  conveyed  the  w^hole  of  the  terri 
tory  again  to  Louis  XIII.  of  France.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen,  that  two  claimants  only  were  in  possession 
of  Acadia ;  namely,  the  younger  La  Tour  and 


246  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

D'Aulney.  The  elder  La  Tour  now  retires  from  the 
scene,  goes  to  England  with  his  wife,  and  is  heard 
of  no  more. 

Between  the  rival  commanders  in  Acadia,  there 
were  certain  points  of  resemblance — both  were 
youthful,  both  were  brave,  enterprising  and  ambi 
tious,  both  the  happy  husbands  of  proud  and  beauti 
ful  wives.  Otherwise  La  Tour  was  a  Huguenot  and 
D'Aulney  a  Catholic — thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
latter  had  the  most  favor  at  the  French  court, 
while  the  former  could  more  securely  count  upon 
the  friendship  of  the  English  of  Massachusetts 
Bay — no  inconsiderable  allies  as  affairs  then  stood. 
Under  such  circumstances,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  there  was  a  constant  feud  between  the  two 
young  officers,  and  their  young  wives.  The  chroni 
cles  of  the  Pilgrims,  the  records  of  Bradford, 
Winthrop,  Mather,  and  Hutchinson,  are  full  of  the 
exploits  of  these  pugnacious  heroes.  At  one  time 
La  Tour  appears  in  person  at  Boston,  to  beat  up 
recruits,  as  more  than  two  hundred  years  after, 
another  power  attempted  to  raise  a  foreign  legion, 
and,  although  the  pilgrim  fathers  do  not  officially 
sanction  the  proceeding,  yet  they  connive  at  it, 
and  quote  Scripture  to  warrant  them.  Close 
upon  this  follows  a  protest  of  D'Auiney,  and  with 
it  the  exhibition  of  a  warrant  from  the  French 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  247 

king  for  the  arrest  of  La  Tour.  Upon  this  there  is 
a  meeting  of  the  council  and  a  treaty,  offensive, 
and  defensive,  made  with  D'Aulney. 

Meanwhile,  Marie  de  la  Tour  arrived  at  Boston 
from  England,  where  she  had  been  on  a  visit  to  her 
mother-in-law.  The  captain  of  the  vessel  upon 
which  she  had  reembarked  for  the  new  world,  hav 
ing  carried  her  to  this  city  instead  of  to  the  river 
St.  John,  according  to  the  letter  of  the  charter,  was 
promptly  served  with  a  summons  by  that  lady  to 
appear  before  the  magistrates  to  show  cause  why 
he  did  it ;  and  the  consequence  was,  madame  recov 
ered  damages  to  the  amount  of  two  thousand 
pounds  in  the  Marine  Court  of  the  Modern  Athens. 
With  this  sum  in  her  pocket,  she  chartered  a  vessel 
for  the  river  St.  John,  and  arrived  at  a  small  fort 
belonging  to  her  husband,  on  its  banks,  just  in  time 
to  defend  it  against  D'Aulney,  who  had  rallied  his 
forces  for  an  attack  upon  it,  during  the  absence  of 
Charles  Etienne. 

Marie  de  la  Tour  at  this  time  was  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  women  in  the  new  world.  She  was 
not  less  than  twenty,  nor  more  than  thirty  years  of 
age ;  her  features  had  a  charm  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  regular  ;  her  eyes  were  expressive  ;  her  mouth 
intellectual ;  her  complexion  brown  and  clear, 
could  pale  or  flush  with  emotions  either  tender  or 


248  ACADIA,    OB    A    MONTH 

indignant.      Before  such  a  commandress  D'Aulney 
de  Charnise  set  down  his  forces  in  the  year  1644. 

The  garrison  was  small — the  brave  Charles  Etienne 
absent  in  a  distant  part  of  the  province.  But  the 
unconquerable  spirit  of  the  woman  prevailed  over 
these  disadvantages.  At  the  first  attack  by  D'Aul 
ney,  the  guns  of  the  fort  were  directed  with  such 
consummate  skill  that  every  shot  told.  The 
besieger,  with  twenty  killed  and  thirteen  wounded, 
was  only  too  happy  to  warp  his  frigate  out  of  the 
reach  of  this  lovely  lady's  artillery,  and  retire  to 
Penobscot  to  refit  for  further  operations.  Again 
D'Aulney  sailed  up  the  St.  John,  with  the  inten 
tion  of  taking  the  place  by  assault.  By  land  as  by 
water,  his  forces  were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter. 
A  host  of  Catholic  soldiers  fell  before  a  handful  of 
Protestant  guns,  which  was  not  surprising,  as  the 
cannon  were  well  pointed,  and  loaded  with  grape 
and  canister.  For  three  days  the  French  officer 
carried  on  the  attack,  and  then  again  retreated.  On 
the  fourth  day  a  Swiss  hireling  deserted  to  the 
enemy  and  betrayed  the  weakness  of  the  garrison. 
D'Aulney,  now  confident  of  success,  determined  to 
take  the  fort  by  storm ;  but  as  he  mounted  the  wall, 
the  lovely  La  Tour,  at  the  head  of  her  little  garri 
son,  met  the  besiegers  with  such  determined  brav 
ery,  that  again  they  were  repulsed.  That  evening 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  249 

D'Aulney  hung  the  traitorous  Swiss,  and  proposed 
honorable  terms,  if  the  brave  commandress  would 
surrender.  To  these  terms  Marie  assented,  in  the 
vain  hope  of  saving  the  lives  of  the  brave  men  who 
had  survived ;  the  remnants  of  her  little  garrison. 
But  the  perfidious  D'Aulney,  who,  from  the  vigor 
ous  defence  of  the  fort,  had  supposed  the  number 
of  soldiers  to  have  been  greater,  instead  of  feeling 
that  admiration  which  brave  men  always  expe 
rience  when  acts  of  valor  are  presented  by  an  ene 
my,  lost  himself  in  an  abyss  of  chagrin,  to  find 
he  had  been  thrice  defeated  by  a  garrison  so 
contemptible  in  numbers,  and  led  by  a  female. 
To  his  eternal  infamy  let  it  be  recorded,  that 
pretending  to  have  been  deceived  by  the  terms 
of  capitulation,  D'Aulney  hanged  the  brave  sur 
vivors  of  the  garrison,  and  even  had  the  base 
ness  and  cruelty  to  parade  Madame  de  la  Tour 
herself  on  the  same  scaffold,  with  the  ignomi 
nious  cord  around  her  neck,  as  a  reprieved  crimi 
nal. 

To  quote  the  words  of  the  chronicler :  "  The  vio 
lent  and'  unusual  exertions  which  Madame  la  Tour 
had  made,  the  dreadful  fate  of  her  household  and 
followers,  and  the  total  wreck  of  his  fortune,  had 
such  an  effect  that  she  died  soon  after  this  event." 

So  perished  the  beautiful,  the  brave,  the  faithful, 
11* 


250  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

the  unfortunate !  Shall  I  add  that  her  besieger, 
D'Aulney,  died  soon  after,  leaving  a  bereaved  but 
blooming  widow  ?  That  Charles  Etienne  la  Tour,  to 
prevent  further  difficulties  in  the  province,  laid  siege 
to  that  sad  and  sympathizing  lady,  not  with  flag  and 
drum,  shot  and  shell,  but  with  the  more  effectual 
artillery  of  love  ?  That  Madame  D'Aulney  finally 
surrendered,  and  that  Charles  Etienne  was  wont  to 
say  to  her,  after  the  wedding  :  "  Beloved,  your  hus 
band  and  my  wife  have  had  their  pitched  battle,  but 
let  us  live  in  peace  for  the  rest  of  our  days,  my 
dear." 

Quaint,  old,  mouldy  Halifax  seems  more  attrac 
tive  after  re- writing  this  portion  of  its  early  history. 
The  defence  of  that  little  fort,  with  its  slender  gar 
rison,  by  Madame  la  Tour,  against  the  perfidious 
Charmse*,  brings  to  mind  other  instances  of  female 
heroism,  peculiar  to  the  French  people.  It  recalls 
the  achievements  of  Joan  of  Arc,  and  Charlotte 
Corday.  Not  less,  than  these,  in  the  scale  of  intre 
pid  valor,  are  those  of  Marie  de  la  Tour. 


WITHTHEBLUENOSES.  251 


CHAPTER  XY. 

Bedford  Basin— Legend  of  the  two  French  Admirals — An  Invita 
tion  to  the  Queen — Visit  to  the  Prince's  Lodge — A  Touch  of  Old 
England — The  Ruins. 

THE  harbor  of  Chebucto,  after  stretching  inland  far 
enough  to  make  a  commodious  and  beautiful  site 
for  the  great  city  of  Halifax,  true  to  the  fine  artistic 
taste  peculiar  to  all  bodies  of  water  in  the  pro 
vince,  penetrates  still  further  in  the  landscape,  and 
broadens  out  into  a  superb  land-locked  lake,  called 
Bedford  Basin.  The  entrance  to  this  basin  is  very 
narrow,  and  it  has  no  other  outlet.  Oral  tradition 
maintains  that  about  a  century  ago  a  certain  French 
fleet,  lying  in  the  harbor,  surprised  by  the  approach 
of  a  superior  body  of  English  men-of-war  in  the 
offing,  weighed  anchor  and  sailed  up  through  this 
narrow  estuary  into  the  basin  itself,  deceived  by 
seeing  so  much  water  there,  and  believing  it  to  be 
but  a  twin  harbor  through  which  they  could  escape 
again  to  the  open  sea.  And  further,  that  the  French 
Admiral  finding  himself  caught  in  this  net  with  no 
chance  of  escape,  drew  his  sword,  and  placing  the 


252  A  CAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 

hilt  upon  the  deck  of  his  vessel,  fell  upon  the  point 
of  the  weapon,  and  so  died. 

This  tradition  is  based  partly  upon  fact;  its 
epoch  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  the  history 
of  this  province,  and  probably  the  turning  point  in 
the  affairs  of  the  whole  northern  continent.  The 
suicide  was  an  officer  high  in  rank,  the  Duke 
d'Anville,  who  in  1746,  after  the  first  capture 
of  Louisburgh,  sailed  from  Brest  with  the  most 
formidable  fleet  that  had  ever  crossed  the  Atlan 
tic,  to  re-take  this  famous  fortress ;  then  to  re-take 
Annapolis,'  next  to  destroy  Boston,  and  finally 
to  visit  the  West  Indies.  But  his  squadron  being 
dispersed  by  tempestuous  weather,  he  arrived  in 
Chebucto  harbor  with  but  a  few  ships,  and  not 
finding  any  of  the  rest  of  his  fleet  there,  was  so 
affected  by  this  and  other  disasters  on  the  voyage, 
that  he  destroyed  himself.  So  says  the  London 
Chronicle  of  August  24th,  1758,  from  which  I 
take  this  account.  The  French  say  he  died  of 
apoplexy,  the  English  by  poison.  At  all  events, 
he  was  buried  in  a  little  island  in  the  harbor,  after 
a  defeat  by  the  elements  of  as  great  an  armament 
as  that  of  the  Spanish  Armada.  Some  idea  of 
the  disasters  of  this  voyage  may  be  formed  from 
one  fact,  that  from  the  time  of  the  sailing  of  the 
expedition  from  Brest  until  its  arrival  at  Chebucto, 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  253 

no  less  than  1,270  men  died  on  the  way  from  the 
plague.  Many  of  the  ships  arriving  after  this  sad 
occurrence,  Yice- Admiral  Destournelle  endeavored 
to  fulfill  the  object  of  the  mission,  and  even  with 
his  crippled  forces  essay  to  restore  the  glory  of 
France  in  the  western  hemisphere.  But  he  being 
overruled  by  a  council  of  war,  plucked  out  his 
sword,  and  followed  his  commander,  the  Duke 
d'Anville.  What  might  have  come  of  it,  had  either 
admiral  again  planted  the  fleur  de  Us  upon  the 
bastions  of  Louisburgh  ? 

But  to  return  to  the  to-day  of  to-day.  Bedford 
Basin  is  now  rapidly  growing  in  importance.  The 
great  Nova  Scotia  railway  skirts  the  margin  of 
its  storied  waters,  and  already  suburban  villas  for 
Haligonian  Sparrowgrasses,  are  being  erected  upon 
its  banks. 

I  was  much  amused  one  morning,  upon  opening 
one  of  the  Halifax  papers,  to  find  in  its  columns  a 
most  warm  and  hearty  invitation  from  the  editor  to 
her  majesty,  Queen  Victoria,  soliciting  her  to  visit 
the  province,  which,  according  to  the  editorial 
phraseology,  would  be,  no  doubt,  as  interesting  as  it 
was  endeared  to  her,  as  the  former  residence  of 
her  gracious  father,  the  Duke  of  Kent. 

In  the  year  1T98,  just  twenty  years  before  her 
present  majesty  was  born,  the  young  Prince 


254:  A  CAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 

Edward  was  appointed  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
forces  in  British  North  America.  Loyalty,  then  as 
now,  was  rampant  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  upon  the 
arrival  of  his  Royal  Highness,  among  other  marks 
of  compliment,  an  adjacent  island,  that  at  present 
rejoices  in  a  governor  and  parliament  of  its  own, 
was  re-christened  with  the  name  it  now  bears, 
namely — Prince  Edward's  Island.  But  I  am  afraid 
Prince  Edward  was  a  sad  reprobate  in  those  days — 
at  least,  such  is  the  record  of  tradition. 

The  article  in  the  newspaper  reminded  me  that 
somewhere  upon  Bedford  Basin  were  the  remains 
of  the  "  Prince's  Lodge  ; "  so  one  afternoon,  accom 
panied  by  a  dear  old  friend,  I  paid  this  royal  bower 
by  Bendemeer's  stream,  a  visit.  Rattling  through 
the  unpaved  streets  of  Halifax  in  a  one  horse 
vehicle,  called,  for  obvious  reasons,  a  "jumper," 
we  were  soon  on  the  high-road  towards  the 
basin.  "Water  of  the  intensest  blue — hill-slopes, 
now  cultivated,  and  anon  patched  with  evergreens 
that  look  as  black  as  squares  upon  a  chess  board, 
between  the  open,  broken  grounds — a  fine  road — a 
summer  sky — an  atmosphere  spicy  with  whiffs  of 
resinous  odors,  and  no  fog, — these  are  the  features 
of  our  ride.  Yonder  is  a  red  building,  reflected  in 
the  water  like  the  prison  of  Chillon,  where  some  ot 
our  citizens  were  imprisoned  during  the  war  of 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  255 

1812 — ship  captives  doubtless!  And  here  is  the 
customary  little  English  inn,  where  we  stop  our 
steed  to  lei^him  cool,  while  the  stout  landlord,  girt 
with  a  clean  white  apron,  brings  out  to  his  thirsty 
travellers  a  brace  of  foaming,  creamy  glasses  of 
"  right  h'English  h'ale."  Then  remounting  the 
jumper,  we  skirt  the  edge  of  the  basin  again,  until 
a  stately  dome  rises  up  before  us  on  the  road,  which, 
as  we  approach,  we  see  is  supported  by  columns, 
and  based  upon  a  gentle  promontory  overhanging 
the  water.  This  is  the  "  Music  House,"  where  the 
Prince's  band  were  wont  to  play  in  days  "lang 
syne."  Here  we  stop,  and  leaving  our  jumper 
in  charge  of  a  farmer,  stroll  over  the  grounds. 

That  peculiar  arrangement  of  lofty  trees,  sweep 
ing  lawns,  and  graceful  management  of  water, 
which  forms  the  prevailing  feature  of  English  land 
scape  gardening,  was  at  once  apparent.  Although 
there  were  no  trim  walks,  green  hedges,  or  beds  of 
flowers ;  although  the  whole  place  was  ruined  and 
neglected,  yet  the  magic  touch  of  art  was  not  less 
visible  to  the  practised  eye.  The  art  that  con 
cealed  art,  seemed  to  lend  a  charm  to  the  sweet 
seclusion,  without  intruding  upon  or  disturbing  the 
intentions  of  nature. 

Proceeding  up  the  gentle  slope  that  led  from  the 
gate,  a  number  of  columbines  and  rose-bushes 


256  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

scattered  in  wild  profusion,  indicated  where  once 
had  been  the  Prince's  garden.  These,  although 
now  in  bloom  and  teeming  with  flowers,  have  a 
vagrant,  neglected  air,  like  beauties  that  had  run 
astray,  never  to  be  reclaimed.  A  little  further  we 
come  upon  the  ruins  of  a  spacious  mansion,  and 
beyond  these  the  remains  of  the  library,  with  its 
tumbled-down  bricks  and  timbers,  choking  up  the 
stream  that  wound  through  the  vice-regal  domains : 
and  here  the  bowling-green,  yet  fresh  with  verdure  ; 
here  the  fishing  pavilion,  leaning  over  an  artificial 
lake,  with  an  artificial  island  in  the  midst ;  and  here 
are  willows,  and  deciduous  tees,  planted  by  the 
Prince;  and  other  rose-bushes  and  columbines  scat 
tered  in  wild  profusion.  I  could  not  but  admire  the 
elegance  and  grace,  which,  even  now,  were  so  appa 
rent,  amid  the  ruins  of  the  lodge,  nor  could  I  help 
recalling  those  earlier  days,  when  the  red-coats 
clustered  around  the  gates,  and  the  grounds  were 
sparkling  with  lamps  at  night;  when  the  band 
from  the  music-house  woke  the  echoes  with  the 
clash  of  martial  instruments,  and  the  young  Prince, 
with  his  gay  gallants,  and  his  powdered,  patched, 
and  painted  Jezebels,  held  his  brilliant  court,  with 
banner,  music,  and  flotilla ;  with  the  array  of 
soldiery,  and  the  pageantry  of  ships-of-war,  on 
Bedford  Basin. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  257 

I  stood  by  the  ruins  of  a  little  stone  bridge, 
which  had  once  spanned  the  sparkling  brook,  and 
led  to  the  Prince's  library  ;  I  saw,  far  and  near,  the 
flaunting  flowers  of  the  now  abandoned  garden,  and 
the  distant  columns  of  the  silent  music  house,  and 
I  felt  sad  amid  the  desolation,  although  I  knew  not 
why.  For  wherefore  should  any  one  feel  sad  to  see 
the  temples  of  dissipation  laid  in  the  dust  ?  For 
my  own  part,  I  am  a  poor  casuist,  but  nevertheless, 
I  do  not  think  my  conscience  will  suffer  from  this 
feeling.  There  is  a  touch  of  humanity  in  it,  and 
always  some  germ  of  sympathy  will  bourgeon  and 
bloom  around  the  once  populous  abodes  of  men, 
whether  they  were  tenanted  by  the  pure  or  by  the 
impure. 


258  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

The  Last  Night— Farewell  Hotel  Waverley— Friends  Old  and  New— 
What  followed  the  Marriage  of  La  Tour  le  Borgne— Invasion 
of  Col.  Church. 

FAINT  nebulous  spots  in  the  air,  little  red  disks  in  a 
halo  of  fog,  acquaint  us  that  there  are  gaslights 
this  night  in  the  streets  of  Halifax.  Something 
new,  I  take  it,  this  illumination?  Carbonated 
hydrogen  is  a  novelty  as  yet  in  Chebucto.  But  in 
this  soft  and  pleasant  atmosphere,  I  cannot  but  feel 
some  regret  at  leaving  my  old  quarters  in  the 
Hotel  Waverley.  If  I  feel  how  much  there  is  to 
welcome  me  elsewhere,  yet  I  do  not  forsake  this 
queer  old  city — these  strange,  dingy,  weather-beaten 
streets,  without  reluctance ;  and  chiefly  I  feel  that 
now  I  must  separate  from  some  old  friends,  and  from 
some  new  ones  too,  whom  I  can  ill  spare.  And 
if  any  of  these  should  ever  read  this  little  book,  I 
trust  they  will  not  think  the  less  of  me  because  of 
it.  If  the  salient  features  of  the  province  have 
sometimes  appeared  to  me,  a  stranger,  a  trifle 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  259 

distorted,  it  may  be  that  my  own  stand-point  is 
defective.  And  so  farewell !  To-morrow  I  shall 
draw  nearer  homeward,  by  "Windsor  and  the  shores 
of  the  Gasperau,  by  Grand-Pre  and  the  Basin  of 
Minas.  Candles,  Henry  !  and  books ! 

The  marriage  of  La  Tour  to  the  widow  of  his 
deceased  rival,  for  a  time  enabled  that  brave  young 
adventurer  to  remain  in  quiet  possession  of  the 
territory.  But  to  the  Catholic  Court  of  France,  a 
suspected  although  not  an  avowed  Protestant,  in 
commission,  was  an  object  of  distrust.  No  matter 
what  might  have  been  his  former  services,  indeed, 
his  defence  of  Cape  Sable  had  saved  the  French 
possessions  from  the  encroachments  of  the  Sterling 
patent,  yet  he  was  heretic  to  the  true  faith, 
and  therefore  defenceless  in  an  important  point 
against  the  attacks  of  an  enemy.  Such  a  one  was 
La  Tour  le  Borgne,  who  professed  to  be  a  creditor 
of  D'Aulney,  and  pressing  his  suit  with  all  the 
ardor  of  bigotry  and  rapacity,  easily  succeeded  in 
"  obtaining  a  decree  by  which  he  was  authorized  to 
enter  upon  the  possessions  of  his  deceased  debtor  /" 
But  the  adherents  of  Charles  Etienne  did  not  readily 
yield  to  the  new  adventurer.  They  had  tasted 
the  sweets  of  religious  liberty,  and  were  not  dis 
posed  to  come  within  the  arbitrary  yoke  without  a 
struggle.  Disregarding  the  "decree,"  they  stood 


260  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

out  manfully  against  the  forces  of  Le  Borgne. 
Agam  were  Catholic  French  and  Protestant  French 
cannon  pointed  against  each  other  in  unhappy 
Acadia.  But  fort  after  fort  fell  beneath  the  new 
claimant's  superior  artillery,  until  La  Tour  le 
Borgne  himself  was  met  by  a  counter-force  of 
bigotry,  before  which  his  own  was  as  chaff  to  the 
fanning-mill.  The  man  of  England,  Oliver  Crom 
well,  had  his  little  claim,  too,  in  Acadia.  Against 
his  forces  both  the  French  commanders  made  but 
ineffectual  resistance.  Acadia  for  the  third  time 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English. 

Now  in  the  history  of  the  world  there  is  nothing 
more  patent  than  this :  that  persecution  in  the 
name  of  religion,  is  only  a  ring  of  calamities,  which 
ends  sooner  or  later  where  it  began.  And  this 
portion  of  its  history  can  be  cited  as  an  example. 
Charles  Etienne  de  la  Tour,  alienated  by  the  unjust 
treatment  of  his  countrymen,  decided  to  accept  the 
protection  of  his  national  enemy.  As  the  heir  of 
Sir  Claude  de  la  Tour,  he  laid  claim  to  the  Sterling 
grants  (which  it  will  be  remembered  had  been  ceded 
to  his  father  by  Sir  William  Alexander  after  the 
unsuccessful  attack  upon  Cape  Sable,)  and  in  con 
junction  with  two  English  Puritans  obtained  a  new 
patent  for  Acadia  from  the  Protector,  under  the 
great  seal,  with  the  title  of  Sir  Charles  La  Tour. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  261 

Then  Sir  Thomas  Temple  (one  of  the  partners  in  the 
Cromwell  patent)  purchased  vthe  interest  of  Charles 
Etienne  in  Acadia.  Then  came  the  restoration,  and 
again  Acadia  was  restored  to  France  by  Charles  II. 
in  1668.  But  Sir  Thomas  having  embarked  all  his 
fortune  in  the  enterprise,  was  not  disposed  to  submit 
to  the  arbitrary  disposal  of  his  property  by  this 
treaty ;  and  therefore  endeavored  to  evade  its 
articles  by  making  a  distinction  between  such  parts 
of  the  province  as  were  supposed  to  constitute 
Acadia  proper,  and  the  oflier  portions  of  the  terri 
tory  comprehended  under  the  title  of  Nova  Scotia. 
"This  distinction  being  deemed  frivolous,"  Sir 
Thomas  was  ordered  to  obey  the  letter  of  the  treaty, 
and  accordingly  the  whole  of  JVbva  Scotia  was 
delivered  up  to  the  Chevalier  de  Grande  Fontaine. 
During  twenty  years  succeeding  this  event,  Acadia 
enjoyed  comparative  repose,  subject  only  to  occa 
sional  visits  of  filibusters.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time,  a  more  serious  invasion  was  meditated. 
Under  the  command  of  Sir  William  Phipps,  a 
native  of  New  England,  three  ships,  with  transports 
and  soldiers,  appeared  before  Port  Royal,  and 
demanded  an  unconditional  surrender.  Although 
the  fort  was  poorly  garrisoned,  this  was  refused  by 
Manivel,  the  French  governor,  but  finally  terms  of 
capitulation  were  agreed  upon :  these  were,  that 


262  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  French  troops  should  be  allowed  to  retain  their 
arms  and  baggage,  and  be  carried  to  Quebec ;  that 
the  inhabitants  should  be  maintained  in  the  peacea 
ble  possession  of  their  property,  and  in  the  exercise 
of  their  religion ;  and  that  the  honor  of  the 
women  should  be  observed.  Sir  William  agreed 
to  the  conditions,  but  declined  signing  the  articles, 
pompously  intimating  that  the  "  word  of  a  general 
was  a  better  security  than  any  document  whatever." 
The  French  governor,  deceived  by  this  specious 
parade  of  language,  tooklhe  New  England  filibus 
ter  at  his  word,  and  formally  surrendered  the  keys 
of  the  fortress,  according  to  the  verbal  contract. 
Again  was  poor  Acadia  the  victim  of  her  perfidious 
enemy.  Sir  William,  disregarding  the  terms  of  the 
capitulation,  and  the  "  word  of  a  general,"  violated 
the  articles  he  had  pledged  his  honor  to  maintain, 
disarmed  and  imprisoned  the  soldiers,  sacked  the 
churches,  and  gave  the  place  up  to  all  the  ruthless 
cruelties  and  violences  of  a  general  pillage.  Not 
only  this,  the  too  credulous  Governor,  Manivel,  was 
himself  imprisoned,  plundered  of  money  and  clothes, 
and  carried  off  on  board  the  conquerer's  frigate, 
with  many  of  his  unfortunate  companions,  to  view 
the  further  spoliations  of  his  countrymen.  Many  a 
peaceful  Acadian  village  expired  in  flames  during 
that  coasting  expedition,  and  to  add  to  the  miseries 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  263 

of  the  defenceless  Acadians,  two  piratical  vessels 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  pious  Sir  William,  and 
set  fire  to  the  houses,  slaughtered  the  cattle,  hanged 
the  inhabitants,  and  deliberately  burned  up  one 
whole  family,  whom  they  had  shut  in  a  dwelling- 
house  for  that  purpose. 

Soon  after  this,  Sir  William  was  rewarded  with 
the  governorship  of  New  England,  as  Argall  had 
been  with  that  of  Virginia,  nearly  a  century  before. 

Now  let  it  be  remembered  that  in  these  expedi 
tions,  very  little,  if  any,  attempt  was  made  by  the 
invaders  to  colonize  or  reside  on  the  lands  they  were 
so  ready  to  lay  waste  and  destroy.  The  mind  of 
the  species  "  Puritan,"  by  rigid  discipline  hardened 
against  all  frivolous  amusements,  and  insensible  to 
the  charms  of  the  drama,  and  the  splendors  of  the 
mimic  spectacle,  with  its  hollow  shows  of  buckram, 
tinsel,  and  pasteboard,  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly 
fitted  to  enjoy  these  more  substantial  enterprises, 
which,  owing  to  the  defenceless  condition  of  the 
French  province,  must  have  appeared  to  the  rigid 
Dudleys  and  Endicotts  merely  as  a  series  of  light 
and  elegant  pastimes. 

Scarcely  had  Sir  William  Phipps  returned  to 
Boston,  when  the  Chevalier  Villabon  came  from 
France  with  troops  and  implements  of  war.  On 
his  arrival,  he  found  the  British  flag  flying  at  Port 


264:  A  CAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 

Royal,  unsupported  by  an  English  garrison.  It  was 
immediately  lowered  from  the  flag-staff,  the  white 
flag  of  Louis  substituted,  and  once  more  Acadia 
was  under  the  dominion  of  her  parental  govern 
ment. 

Yillabon,  in  a  series  of  petty  skirmishes,  soon 
recovered  the  rest  of  the  territory,  which  was  only 
occupied  at  a  few  points  by  feeble  New  England 
garrisons,  and,  in  conjunction  with  a  force  of 
Abenaqui  Indians,  laid  siege  to  the  fort  at  Pema- 
quid,  on  the  Penobscot,  and  captured  it.  In  this 
affair,  as  we  have  seen,  the  famous  Baron  Castine 
was  engaged. 

The  capture  of  the  fort  at  Pemaquid,  led  to  a 
train  of  reprisals,  conspicuous  in  which  was  an 
actor  in  the  theatre  of  events  who  heretofore  had 
not  appeared  upon  the  Acadian  stage.  This  was 
Col.  Church,  a  celebrated  bushwhacker  and  Indian- 
fighter,  of  memorable  account  in  the  King  Philip 
war. 

In  order  to  estimate  truly  the  condition  of  the 
respective  parties,  we  must  remember  the  severe 
iron  and  gunpowder  nature  of  the  Puritan  of  New 
England,  his  prejudices,  his  dyspepsia ;  his  high- 
peaked  hat  and  ruff;  his  troublesome  conscience 
and  catarrh ;  his  natural  antipathies  to  Papists  and 
Indians,  from  having  been  scalped  by  one,  and 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES,  265 

roasted  by  both ;  his  English  insolence  ;    and  his 
religious  bias,  at  once  tyrannic  and  territorial. 

Then,  on  the  other,  we  must  call  to  view  the 
simple  Acadian  peasant,  Papist  or  Protestant,  just 
as  it  happened  ;  ignorant  of  the  great  events  of  the 
world  ;  a  mere  offshoot  of  rural  Normandy ;  without 
a  thought  of  other  possessions  than  those  he  might 
reclaim  from  the  sea  by  his  dykes  ;  credulous,  pure- 
minded,  patient  of  injuries  ;  that  like  the  swallow 
in  the  spring,  thrice  built  the  nest,  and  when  again 
it  was  destroyed, 

"  found  the  ruin  wrought, 

But,  not  cast  down,  forth  from  the  place  it  flew, 
And  with  its  mate  fresh  earth  and  grasses  brought, 

And  built  the  nest  anew." 

Against  such  people,  the  expedition  of  Col.  Church, 
fresh  from  slaughter  in  the  Indian  wars,  bent 
its  merciless  energies.  Regardless  of  the  facts  that 
the  people  were  non-resistants  ;  that  the  expeditions 
of  the  French  had  been  only  feeble  retaliations  of 
great  injuries ;  and  always  by  levies  from  the 
mother  country,  and  not  from  the  colonists;  that 
Yillabon,  at  the  capture  of  Pemaquid,  had  gene 
rously  saved  the  lives  of  the  soldiers  in  the  garrison 
from  the  fury  of  the  Mic-Macs,  who  had  just  grounds 
of  retribution  for  the  massacres  which  had  marked 
12 


266  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  former  inroads  of  these  ruthless  invaders; 
the  wrath  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  fell  upon  the 
unfortunate  Acadians  as  though  they  had  been  a 
nation  of  Sepoys.* 

One  of  the  severest  cruelties  practised  upon  these 
inoffensive  people,  was  that  of  requiring  them  to 
betray  their  friends,  the  Indians,  under  the  heaviest 
penalties.  In  Acadia,  the  red  and  the  white  man 
were  as  brothers ;  no  treachery,  no  broken  faith,  no 


*  One  incident  will  suffice  to  show  the  character  of  these  forays. 
A  small  island  on  Passamaquoddy  Bay  was  invaded  by  the  forces 
under  Col.  Church,  at  night.  The  inhabitants  made  no  resistance. 
All  gave  up  ;  "  but,"  says  Church  in  his  dispatch  to  the  gov 
ernor,  "looking  over  a  little  run,  I  saw  something  look  black  just 
by  me  :  stopped  and  heard  a  talking ;  stepped  over  and  saw  a  little 
hut,  or  wigwam,  with  a  crowd  of  people  round  about  it,  which  was 
contrary  to  my  former  directions.  I  asked  them  what  they  were 
doing  ?  They  replied,  *  there  were  some  of  the  enemy  in  a  house, 
and  would  not  come  out.'  I  asked  what  house  ?  They  said,  '  a 
bark  house.'  I  hastily  bid  them  pull  it  down,  and  knock  them  on 
the  heady  never  asking  whether  they  were  French  or  Indians,  they 
being  all  enemies  alike  to  me."  Such  was  the  merciless  character 
of  these  early  expeditions  to  peaceful  Acadia. 


"  HEROD  of  Galilee's  babe-butchering  deed 
Lives  not  on  history's  blushing  page  alone ; 

Our  skies,  it  seems,  have  seen  like  victims  bleed, 
And  our  own  Ramahs  echoed  groan  for  groan  ; 

The  fiends  of  France,  whose  cruelties  decreed 

Those  dexterous  drownings  in  the  Loire  and  Rhone, 

Were,  at  their  worst,  but  copyists,  second-hand, 

Of  our  shrined,  sainted  sires,  the  Plymouth  Pilgrim  band." 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  267 

over-reaching  policy  had  severed  the  slightest  fibre 
of  good  fellowship  on  either  side.  But  the  Abena- 
qui  race  was  a  warlike  people.  At  the  first  invasion, 
under  Argall,  the  red  man  had  seen  with  surprise  a 
mere  handful  of  white  men  disputing  for  a  territory 
to  which  neither  could  offer  a  claim ;  so  vast  as  to 
make  either  occupation  or  control  by  the  adven 
turers  ridiculous  ;  and  therefore,  with  good-natured 
zeal,  he  had  hastened  to  put  an  end  to  the  quarrel, 
as  though  the  white  people  had  only  been  fractious 
but  not  irreconcilable  kinsmen.  But  as  the  power 
of  ~New  England  advanced  more  and  more  in  Aca- 
dia,  the  first  generous  desire  of  the  red  man  had 
merged  into  suspicion,  and  finally  hatred  of  the 
peaked  hat  and  ruff  of  Plymouth.  In  all  his  deal 
ings  with  the  Acadians,  the  Indian  had  found  only 
unimpeachable  faith  and  honor;  but  with  the 
colonist  of  Massachusetts,  there  had  been  nothing 
but  over-reaching  and  treachery :  intercourse  with 
the  first  had  not  led  to  a  scratch,  or  a  single  drop  of 
blood  ;  while  on  the  other  hand  a  bounty  of  "  one 
hundred  pounds  was  offered  for  each  male  of  their 
tribe  if  over  twelve  years  of  age,  if  scalped ;  one 
hundred  and  five  pounds  if  taken  prisoner  ;  fifty 
pounds  for  each  woman  and  child  scalped,  and  fifty 
pounds  when  brought  in  alive." 

The  Abenaqui  tribes  therefore,  first,  to   avengo 


268  AC  AD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  injuries  of  their  unresisting  friends,  the  Aca- 
dians,  and  after  to  avenge  their  own,  waged  war 
upon  the  invaders  with  all  the  severities  of  an 
aggrieved  and  barbarous  people.  And,  as  I  have 
said  before,  the  severest  cruelty  inflicted  upon  the 
Acadian  colonist,  was  to  oblige  him  to  betray  his 
best  friend  and  protector,  the  painted  heathen,  with 
whom  he  struck  hands  and  plighted  faith.  To  the 
honor  of  these  colonists,  be  it  said,  that  although 
they  saw  their  long  years'  labor  of  dykes  broken 
down,  the  sea  sweeping  over  their  farms,  the  fire 
rolling  about  their  homesteads,  their  cattle  and 
sheep  destroyed,  their  effects  plundered,  and  wan 
ton  and  nameless  outrages  committed  by  the 
English  and  Yankee  soldiery,  yet  in  no  instance 
did  they  purchase  indemnity  from  these,  by  betray 
ing  a  single  Indian. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  269 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  few  more  Threads  of  History — Acadia  again  lost — The  Oath  of 
Allegiance— Settlement  of  Halifax— The  brave  Three  Hundred — 
Massacre  at  Norridgewoack — Le  Pere  Ralle. 

DURING  the  invasion  of  Col.  Church,  the  inhabit 
ants  of  Grand-Pre  were  exposed  to  such  treatment 
as  may  be  conceived  of.  The  smoke  from  the 
borders  of  the  five  rivers,  overlooked  by  Blomidon, 
rose  in  the  stilly  air,  and  again  the  sea  rolled  past 
the  broken  dykes,  which  for  nearly  a  century  had 
kept  out  its  desolating  waters  between  the  Cape  and 
the  Gasperau.  Driven  to  despair,  a  few  of  the 
younger  Acadians  took  up  arms  to  defend  their 
hearthstones,  but  the  great  body  of  the  people 
submitted  without  resistance.  A  brief  stand  was 
made  at  Port  Royal,  but  this  last  outpost  finally 
capitulated.  By  the  terms  of  the  articles  agreed 
upon,  the  inhabitants  were  to  have  the  privilege  of 
remaining  upon  their  estates  for  two  years,  upon 
taking  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  remain  faithful  to 
her  majesty,  Queen  Anne,  during  that  period. 
Upon  that  consideration,  those  who  lived  within 


270  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

cannon-shot  of  the  fort,  were  to  be  protected  in 
their  rights  and  properties.  This  was  but  a  piece 
of  finesse  on  the  part  of  the  invaders,  an  entering 
wedge,  as  it  were,  of  a  novel  kind  of  tyranny, 
namely,  that  inasmuch  as  those  within  cannon-shot 
had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance,  those  without  the 
reach  of  artillery,  at  Port  Eoyal,  also,  were  bound 
to  do  the  same.  And  a  strong  detachment  of  New 
England  troops,  under  Captain  Pigeon,  was  sent 
upon  an  expedition  to  enforce  the  arbitrary  oath. 
But  Captain  Pigeon,  in  the  pursuit  of  his  duty,  fell 
in  with  an  enemy  of  a  less  gentle  nature  than  the 
Acadians.  A  body  of  Abenaqui  came  down  upon 
him  and  his  men,  and  smote  them  hip  and  thigh, 
even  as  the  three  hundred  warriors  of  Israel  smote 
the  Midianites  in  the  valley  of  Moreh.  Then  was 
there  temporary  relief  in  the  land  until  the 
year  1713,  when  by  a  treaty  Acadia  was  for 
mally  surrendered  to  England.  The  weight  of  the 
oath  of  allegiance  now  fell  heavily  upon  the  in 
nocent  colonists.  "We  can  scarcely  appreciate  the 
abhorrence  of  a  people,  so  conscientious  as  this,  to 
take  an  oath  of  fidelity  to  a  race  that  had  only 
been  known  to  them  by  its  rapacity.  But  partly 
by  persuasion,  partly  by  menace,  a  majority  of  the 
Acadians  took  the  oath,  which  was  as  follows  : 
"  Je  promets  et  jure  sincerement,  en  foi  de  Chr& 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  271 

tien,  que  je  serai  entierement  fidele  et  obeirai  vrai* 
ment  sa  Majeste  le  roi  George,  que  je  reconnais 
pour  le  Souverain  seigneur  de  VAcadie,  ou  Nou- 
velle  Ecosse,  ainsi  Dieu  me  soit  en  aide" 

Under  the  shadow  of  the  protection  derived  from 
their  acceptance  of  this  oath,  the  Acadians  reposed 
a  few  years.  It  did  not  oblige  them  to  bear  arms 
against  their  countrymen,  nor  did  it  compromise 
their  religious  independence  of  faith.  Again  the 
dykes  were  built  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  the 
sea  ;  again  village  after  village  arose — at  the  mouth 
of  the  Gasperau,  on  the  shores  of  the  Canard,  be 
side  the  Strait  of  Frontenac,  at  Le  Have,  and  Ros- 
signol,  at  Port  Royal  and  Pisiquid.  During  all 
these  years  no  attempt  had  "been  made  by  the  cap 
tors  of  this  province,  to  colonize  the  places  baptized 
with  the  waters  of  Puritan  progress.  Lunenburgh 
was  settled  with  King  William's  Dutchmen ;  the 
walls  of  Louisburgh  were  rising  in  one  of  the 
harbors  of  a  neighboring  island ;  but  in  no  instance 
had  the  filibusters  projected  a  colony  on  the  soil 
which  had  been  wrested  from  its  rightful  owners. 
The  only  result  of  all  their  bloody  visitations  upon 
a  non-resisting  people,  had  been  ta  make  defence 
less  Acadia  a  neutral  province.  From  this  time 
until  the  close  of  the  drama,  in  all  the  wars  be 
tween  the  Georges  and  the  Louises,  in  both  hemi 


•272  ACADIA,     OK    A    MONTH 

spheres,  the  people  of  Acadia  went  by  the  name 
of  "The  Neutral  French." 

Meantime  the  walls  of  Louisburgh  were  rising 
on  the  island  of  Cape  Breton,  which,  with  Canada, 
still  remained  under  the  sovereign  rule  of  the 
French.  The  Acadians  were  invited  to  remove 
within  the  protection  of  this  formidable  fortress, 
but  they  preferred  remaining  intrenched  behind 
their  dykes,  firmly  believing  that  the  only  invader 
they  had  now  to  dread  was  the  sea,  inasmuch  as 
they  had  accepted  the  oath  of  fidelity,  in  which, 
and  in  their  inoffensive  pursuits,  they  imagined 
themselves  secure  from  farther  molestation.  Some 
of  their  Indian  neighbors,  however,  accepted  the 
invitation  of  the  Cape  Breton  French,  and  removed 
thither.  These  simple  savages,  notwithstanding  the 
changes  in  the  government,  still  regarded  the  Aca 
dians  as  friends,  and  the  English  as  enemies.  They 
could  not  comprehend  the  nature  of  a  treaty  by 
which  their  own  lands  were  ceded  to  a  hostile 
force ;  a  treaty  in  which  they  were  neither  con 
sulted  nor  considered.*  They  had  their  own  injuries 
to  remember,  which  in  no  wise  had  been  balanced 
in  the  compact  of  the  strangers.  The  rulers  in 

*  In  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  no  mention  was  made  either  of  the 
Indians  or  of  their  lands. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  273 

New  France  (so  says  the  chronicler)  "  affected  to 
consider  the  Indians  as  an  independent  people." 
At  Canseau,  at  Cape  Sable,  at  Annapolis,  and  Pas- 
samaquoddy,  English  forts,  fishing  stations,  and 
vessels  were  attacked  and  destroyed  by  the  savages 
with  all  the  circumstances  that  make  up  the  hideous 
features  of  barbaric  reprisal.  Unhappy  Acadia 
came  in  for  her  share  of  condemnation.  Although 
her  innocent  people  had  no  part  in  these  transac 
tions,  yet  her  missionaries  had  converted  the  Abe- 
naqui  to  faith  in  the  symbol  of  the  crucifixion,  and 
it  was  currently  reported  and  credited  in  New  Eng 
land,  that  they  had  taught  the  savages  to  believe 
also  the  English  were  the  people  who  had  crucified 
our  Saviour.  To  complicate  matters  again,  the 
Chevalier  de  St.  George  (of  whom  there  is  no 
recollection  except  that  he  was  anonymous,  both  as 
a  prince,  and  as  a  man)  sent  his  son,  the  fifth  re 
move  in  stupidity,  of  the  most  stupid  line  of  mon- 
archs  (not  even  excepting  the  Georges)  that  ever 
wore  crowns,  to  stir  up  an  insurrection  among  the 
most  obtuse  race  of  people  that  ever  wore,  or  went 
without,  breeches.  A  war  between  France  and 
England  followed  the  descent  of  the  Pretender.  A 
war  naturally  followed  in  the  Colonies. 

Again  the  ring   of  fire   and   slaughter  met  and 
ended  in  a  treaty ;  the  treaty  of  Aix  la  Chapelle, 

12* 


274:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

by  which  Cape  Breton  was  ceded  to  France,  and 
Nova  Scotia,  01;  Acadia,  to  England.  Up  to  this 
time  no  attempt  at  colonizing  the  fertile  valleys  of 
Acadia,  by  its  captors,  had  been  attempted.  At 
last,  under  large  and  favorable  grants  from  the 
Crown,  a  colony  was  established  by  the  Hon. 
Edward  Cornwallis,  at  a  place  now  known  as  Hali 
fax.  ~No  sooner  was  Halifax  settled,  than  sundry 
tribes  of  red  men  made  predatory  visits  to  the  bor 
ders  of  the  new  colony.  Reprisals  followed  repri 
sals,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  say  on  which  side  lay  the 
largest  amount  of  savage  fury.  At  the  same  time, 
the  Acadians  remained  true  to  the  spirit  and  letter 
of  the  oath  they  had  taken.  "  They  had  relapsed," 
says  the  chronicler,  "  into  a  sort  of  sullen  neu 
trality."  This  was  considered  just  cause  of  offence. 
The  oath  which  had  satisfied  Governor  Phipps,  did 
not  satisfy  George  II.  A  new  oath  of  allegiance 
was  tendered,  by  which  the  Acadians  were  required 
to  become  loyal  subjects  of  the  English  Crown,  to 
bear  arms  against  their  countrymen,  and  the 
Indians  to  whom  the  poor  colonists  were  bound  by 
so  many  ties  of  obligation  and  affection.  The  con* 
sciences  of  these  simple  people  revolted  at  a  requi 
sition  "  so  repugnant  to  the  feelings  of  human 
nature."  Three  hundred  of  the  younger  and  braver 
Acadians  took  up  arms  against  their  oppressors. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  275 

This  overt  act  was  just  what  was  desired  by  the 
wily  Puritans.  Acadia,  with  its  twenty  thousand 
inhabitants,  was  placed  under  the  ban  of  having 
violated  the  oath  of  neutrality  in  the  persons  of  the 
three  hundred.  In  vain  the  great  body  of  the  peo 
ple  protested  that  this  act  was  contrary  to  their 
wishes,  their  peaceful  habits,  and  beyond  their  con 
trol.  At  the  fort  of  Beau  Sejour,  the  brave  three 
hundred  made  a  gallant  stand,  but  were  defeated. 
Would  there  had  been  a  Leonidas  among  them  ! 
Would  that  the  whole  of  their  kinsmen  had  erected 
forts  instead  of  dykes,  and  dropped  the  plough- 
handles  to  press  the  edge  of  the  sabre  against  the 
grindstone !  Sad  indeed  is  the  fate  of  that  people 
who  make  any  terms  with  such  an  enemy,  except 
such  as  may  be  granted  at  the  bayonet's  point. 
Sad  indeed  is  the  condition  of  that  people  who  are 
wrapt  in  security  when  Persecution  steals  in  upon 
them,  hiding  its  bloody  hands  under  the  garments 
of  sanctity. 

Among  the  many  incidents  of  these  cruel  wars, 
the  fate  of  a  Jesuit  priest  may  stand  as  a  type  of 
.the  rest.  Le  Pere  Ealle  had  been  a  missionary  for 
forty  years  among  the  various  tribes  of  the  Abena- 
qui.  "His  literary  attainments  were  of  a  high 
order ;"  his  knowledge  of  modern  languages  re 
spectable  ;  "  his  Latin,"  according  to  Haliburton, 


276  A  C  A  D  I  A  ,     OR    A    MONTH 

"  was  pure,  classical  and  elegant ;"  and  he  was 
master  of  several  of  the  Abenaqui  dialects ;  indeed, 
a  manuscript  dictionary  of  the  Abenaqui  languages, 
in  his  hand- writing,  is  still  preserved  in  the  library 
of  the  Harvard  University.  Of  one  of  these 
tribes — the  Norridgewoacks — Father  Ralle  was  the 
pastor.  Its  little  village  was  on  the  banks  of  the 
Kennebeck ;  the  roof  of  its  tiny  chapel  rose  above 
the  pointed  wigwams  of  the  savages  ;  and  a  huge 
cross,  the  emblem  of  peace,  lifted  itself  above  all, 
the  conspicuous  feature  of  the  settlement  in  the 
distance.  By  the  tribe  over  which  he  had  exercised 
his  gentle  rule  for  so  many  years,  Le  Pere  Ralle  was 
regarded  with  superstitious  reverence  and  affection. 
It  does  not  appear  that  these  people  had  been 
accused  of  any  overt  acts;  but,  nevertheless,  the  vil 
lage  was  marked  out  for  destruction.  Two  hundred 
and  -eight  Massachusetts  men  were  dispatched  upon 
this  errand.  The  settlement  was  surprised  at  night, 
and  a  terrible  scene  of  slaughter  ensued.  Ralle 
came  forth  from  his  chapel  to  save,  if  possible,  the 
lives  of  his  miserable  parishioners.  "  As  soon  as 
he  was  seen,"  says  the  chronicler,*  "he  was  saluted 
with  a  great  shout  and  a  shower  of  bullets,  and  fell, 
together  with  seven  Indians,  who  had  rushed  out  of 
their  tents  to  defend  him  with  their  bodies ;  and 

*  Charlevoix. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  277 

when  the  pursuit  ceased,  the  Indians  who  had  fled, 
returned  to  weep  over  their  beloved  missionary, 
and  found  him  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  cross,  his 
body  perforated  with  balls,  his  head  scalped,  his 
skull  broken  with  blows  .of  hatchets,  his  mouth  and 
eyes  filled  with  mud,  the  bones  of  his  legs  broken, 
and  his  limbs  dreadfully  mangled.  After  having 
bathed  his  remains  with  their  tears,  they  buried  him 
on  the  site  of  the  chapel,  that  had  been  hewn  down 
with  its  crucifix,  with  whatever  else  remained  of 
the  emblems  of  idolatry."  Such  was  the  merciless 
character  of  the  invasion  of  Acadia ;  such  the 
looming  phantom  of  the  greater  crime  which  was 
so  speedily  to  spread  ruin  over  her  fair  valleys,  and 
scatter  forever  her  pastoral  people. 

The  tranquillity  of  entire  subjugation  followed 
these  events  in  the  province.  The  New  Englander 
built  his  menacing  forts  along  the  rivers,  and 
pressed  into  his  service  the  labors  of  the  neutral 
French.  "The  requisitions  which  were  made  of 
them  were  not  calculated  to  conciliate  affection," 
says  the  chronicler  ;  the  poor  Acadian  peasant  was 
^informed,  if  he  did  not  supply  the  garrison  fuel, 
his  own  house  would  be  used  for  that  purpose,  and 
that  neglect  to  furnish  timber  for  the  repairs  of  a 
fort,  would  be  followed  by  drum-head  courts  mar« 
tial,  and  "  military  execution." 


278  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

To  all  these  exactions,  these  unhappy  people 
patiently  submitted.  But  in  vain.  The  very  exis 
tence  of  the  subjugated  race  had  become  irksome 
to  their  oppressors.  A  cruelty  yet  more  intolerable 
to  which  the  history  of  the  world  affords  no  parallel, 
remained  to  be  perpetrated. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  279 


CHAPTEK  XYHI. 

On  the  road  to  Windsor — The  great  Nova  Scotia  Railway — A  Fellow 
Passenger — Cape  Sable  Shipwrecks — Seals — Ponies — Windsor — 
Sam  Slick— A  lively  Example. 

A  DEWY,  spring-like  morning  is  all  I  remembered 
of  my  farewell  to  Halifax.  A  very  sweet  and 
odorous  air  as  I  rode  towards  the  railway  station  in 
the  funereal  cab ;  a  morning  without  fog,  a  spark 
ling  freshness  that  twinkled  in  the  leaves  and 
crisped  the  waters. 

So  I  take  leave  of  thee,  quaint  old  city  of  Che- 
bucto.  The  words  of  a  familiar  ditty,  the  memory 
of  the  unfortunate  Miss  Bailey,  rises  upon  me  as 
the  morning  bugle  sounds — 

"  A  captain  bold  in  Halifax,  who  lived  in  country  quarters, 
Seduced  a  maid,  who  hung  herself  next  morning  in  her  garters; 
His  wicked  conscience  smoted  him,  he  lost  his  spirits  daily, 
He  took  to  drinking  ratifia,  and  thought  upon  Miss  Bailey." 

While  the  psychological  features  of   the   case 


280  A  CADI  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

were  puzzling  his  brain   and  keeping  him  wide 
awake — 

"  The  candles  blue,  at  XII.  o'clock,  began  to  burn  quite  paley, 
A  ghost  appeared  at  his  bedside,  and  said — 

behold,  Miss  Bailey  ! !  !" 

Even  such  a  sprite,  so  dead  in  look,  so  woe 
begone,  drew  Priam's  curtain  in  the  dead  of  night 
to  tell  him  half  his  Troy  was  burned ;  but  this  visit 
was  for  a  different  purpose,  as  we  find  by  the  words 
which  the  gallant  Lothario  addressed  to  his  victim : 

"  'You'll  find,'  says  he,  'a  five-pound  note  in  my  regimental  small 
clothes  ; 

'T  will  bribe  the  sexton  for  your  grave,'  the  ghost  then  vanished 

gaily, 

Saying,  '  God  bless  you,  wicked  Captain  Smith,  although  you've 
ruined  Miss  Bailey.' " 

There  is  no  end  to  these  legends ;  the  whole  pro 
vince  is  full  of  them.  The  Province  Building  is 
stuffed  with  rich  historical  manuscripts,  that  only 
wait  for  the  antiquarian  explorer.* 

*  Since  my  visit  this  work  has  actually  commenced.  At  the 
close  of  the  legislative  session  of  1857,  the  Hon.  Joseph  Howe 
moved,  and  the  Hon.  Attorney-General  seconded,  and  the  House, 
after  some  demur,  resolved,  that  his  Excellency  be  requested  to 
appoint  a  commission  for  examining  and  arranging  the  records  of  the 
Province.  During  the  recess  the  office  was  instituted,  and  Thomas 
B.  Akins,  Esq.,  a  gentleman  distinguished  for  antiquarian  taste  and 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  281 

But  now  we  approach  the  station  of  the  great 
.Nova  Scotia  Bailway,  nine  and  three-quarter 
miles  in  length,  that  skirts  the  margin  of  Bed- 
research,  was  appointed  commissioner.  It  was  known  that  in  the 
garrets  or  cellars  of  the  Province  Building  were  heaps  of  manu 
script  records,  of  various  kinds ;  but  their  exact  nature  and  value 
were  only  surmised.  Some  of  these  had  vanished,  it  is  said,  by  the 
agency  of  rats  and  mice ;  and  moth  and  mold  were  doing  their 
work  on  other  portions.  To  stay  the  waste,  to  ascertain  what  the 
heaps  contained,  and  to  arrange  documents  at  all  worthy  of  pre 
servation,  the  commission  was  appointed.  Mr.  Akins  has  been  for 
some  months  at  the  superintendence  of  the  work,  helped  by  a  very 
industrious  assistant,  Mr.  James  Farquhar.  Very  pleasing  results 
indeed  have  been  realized.  Several  boxes  of  documents,  arranged 
and  labelled,  have  been  packed,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  volumes  of 
interesting  manuscripts  have  been  prepared.  Some  of  these  are  of 
great  interest,  relative  to  the  history  of  the  Province,  and  of 
British  America  generally,  being  original  papers  concerning  the 
conquest  and  settling  of  the  Provinces,  and  having  reference  to  the 
Acadian  French,  the  Indians,  the  taking  of  Louisburgh,  of  Quebec, 
and  other  matters  of  historic  importance  connected  with  the  sup 
pression  of  French  dominion  in  America.  We  understand  some  of 
these  documents  prove,  as  many  previously  believed,  that  what 
appeared  to  be  a  stern  necessity,  and  not  wanton  oppression  or 
tyranny,  caused  the  painful  dispersion  of  the  former  French  inhabit 
ants  of  the  more  poetic  and  pastoral  parts  of  Acadia.  If  this  be 
so,  some  excellent  sentiment  and  eloquent  romance  will  have  to  be 
taken  with  considerable  modification.  A  few  of  the  most  indig 
nant  bursts  (?)  in  Longfellow's  fine  poem  of  "Evangeline"  may  be 
in  this  predicament ;  and  may  have  to  be  read,  not  exactly  as  so  much 
gospel,  but  rather  as  rhetorical  extremes,  unsubstantial,  but  too 


A  C  A  D  I  A ,    OR    A    MONTH 

ford  Basin,  and  ends  at  the  head  of  that  blue 
sheet  of  water  in  the  village  of  Sackville.  It  is 
amusing  to  see  the  gravity  and  importance  of 
the  conductor,  in  uniform  frock-coat  and  with 
crown  and  V.  R.  buttons,  as  he  paces  up  and  down 

elegant  to  be  altogether  discarded.  In  volumes  alluded  to,  of  the 
record  commission,  the  dispatches,  and  letters,  and  other  docu 
ments  of  a  former  age,  and  in  the  handwriting,  or  from  the  imme 
diate  dictation,  of  eminent  personages,  will  present  very  attractive 
material  for  those  who  find  deep  interest  in  such  venerable  in 
quiries  ;  who  obtain  from  this  kind  of  lore  a  charming  renewal  of 
the  past,  a  clearing  up  of  local  history,  and  an  almost  face-to-face 
conference  with  persons  whose  names  are  landmarks  of  national 
annals.  The  commission  not  only  examines  and  arranges,  but 
forms  copious  characteristic  "  contents  "  of  the  volumes,  and  an 
index  for  easy  reference ;  it  also  keeps  a  journal  of  each  day's  pro 
ceedings.  The  "contents"  tell  the  nature  and  topics  of  each 
document,  and  will  thus  facilitate  research,  and  prevent  much 
injurious  turning  over  of  the  manuscripts.  The  work,  too  long 
delayed,  has  been  happily  commenced.  Its  neglect  was  felt  to  be  a 
fault  and  a  reproach,  and  serious  loss  was  known  to  impend  ;  but 
still  it  was  put  off,  and  spoken  lightly  of,  and  sneered  at,  and  a 
very  mistaken  economy  pretended,  until  last  legislative  session, 
when  it  was  adopted  by  accident  apparently,  and  is  now  in  success 
ful  operation.  The  next  questions  are,  how  will  the  arranged  docu 
ments  be  preserved  ?  who  will  have  them  in  charge  ?  will  they  be 
allowed  to  be  scattered  about  in  the  hands  of  privileged  persons,  to 
be  lost  wholesale  ?  or  will  they,  as  they  should,  be  sacredly  con 
served,  a  store  to  which  all  shall  have  a  common  but  well-guarded 
right  of  access  and  research. — Halifax  Sun,  Dec.  9,  1857. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  283 

the  platform  before  starting ;  and  the  quiet  dignity 
of  the  sixpenny  ticket-office ;  and  .the  busy  air  of 
the  freight-master,  checking  off  boxes  and  bundles 
for  the  distant  terminus — so  distant  that  it  can 
barely  be  distinguished  by  the  naked  eye.  But  it 
was  a  pleasant  ride,  that  by  the  Basin !  Not  less 
pleasant  because  of  the  company  of  an  old  friend, 
who,  with  wife  and  children,  went  with  me  to  the 
end  of  the  iron  road.  Arrived  there,  we  parted, 
and  I,  leaving  the  railway,  went  thence  by  stage  to 
Windsor,  on  the  river  Avon,  forty-five  miles,  or  so, 
west  of  Halifax. 

My  fellow-passenger  on  the  stage-top  was  a  pony ! 
Yes,  a  real  pony !  not  bigger,  however,  than  a  good 
sized  pointer  dog,  although  his  head  was  of  most 
preposterous  horse-like  length.  This  equine  Tom 
Thumb,  was  one  of  the  mustangs,  or  wild  horses  of 
Sable  Island,  some  little  account  of  which  here 
may  not  be  uninteresting.  But  first  let  me  say,  in 
order  not  to  tax  the  credulity  of  my  reader  too 
much,  that  pony  did  not  stand  upright  upon  the 
roof  of  the  coach,  as  may  have  been  surmised,  but 
was  very  cleverly  laid  upon  his  side,  with  his  four 
legs  strapped  in  the  form  of  a  saw-buck,  precisely  as 
butchers  tie  the  legs  of  calves  or  of  sheep  together, 
for  transportation  in  carts  to  the  shambles,  only 
pony's  fetters  were  not  BO  cruel — indeed  he  seemed 


A  C  A  D  I  A ,     OR    A    MONTH 

to  be  quite  at  his  ease — like  the  member  of  the 
foreign  legion  on  the  road  to  Dartmouth. 

Now  then,  pony's  birth-place  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  upon  our  coast.  Do  you  remember  it, 
my  transatlantic  traveller  ?  The  little  yellow  spot 
that  greets  you  BO  far  out  at  sea,  and  bids  you  wel 
come  to  the  western  hemisphere  ?  I  hope  yo*u  have 
seen  it  in  fine  weather;  many  a  goodly  ship  has 
left  her  bones  upon  that  yellow  island  in  less 
auspicious  seasons.  The  first  of  these  misad- 
venturers  was  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  who  was 
lost  in  a  storm  close  by;  the  memorable  words 
with  which  he  hailed  his  consort  are  now  familiar 
to  every  reader:  "Heaven,"  saki  he,  "is  as  near 
by  sea  as  by  land,"  and  so  bade  the  world  farewell 
in  the  tempest.  Legends  of  wrecks  of  buccaneers, 
of  spectres,  multiply  as  we  penetrate  into  the  mys 
terious  history  of  the  yellow  island.  And  its  pre 
sent  aspect  is  sufficiently  tempting  to  the  adven 
turous,  for  whom — 

"  If  danger  other  charms  have  none, 
Then  danger's  self  is  lure  alone." 

The  following  description,  from  a  lecture  deliv 
ered  in  Halifax,  by  Dr.  J.  Bernard  Gilpin,  will 
commend  itself  to  our  modern  Robinson  Cru- 
soes: 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  285 

"  Should  any  one  be  visiting  the  island  now,  he 
might  see,  about  ten  miles'  distance,  looking  sea 
ward,  half  a  dozen  low,  dark  hummocks  on  the 
horizon.  As  he  approaches,  they  gradually  re 
solve  themselves  into  hills  fringed  by  breakers,  and 
by  and  by  the  white  sea  beach  with  its  continued 
surf — the  sand-hills,  part  naked,  part  waving  in 
grass  of  the  deepest  green,  unfold  themselves — a 
house  and  a  barn  dot  the  western,  extremity — here 
and  there  along  the  wild  beach  lie  the  ribs  of  un 
lucky  traders  half-buried  in  the  shifting  sand.  By 
this  time  a  red  ensign  is  waving  at  its  peak,  and 
from  a  tall  flag-staff  and  crow's  nest  erected  upon 
the  highest  hill  midway  of  the  island,  an  answering 
flag  is  waving  to  the  wind.  Before  the  anchor  is 
let  go,  and  the  cutter  is  rounding  to  in  five  fathoms 
of  water,  men  and  horses  begin  to  dot  the  beach, 
a  life-boat  is  drawn  rapidly  on  a  boat-cart  to  the 
beach,  manned,  and  fairly  breasting  the  breakers 
upon  the  bar.  It  may  have  been  three  long  win 
ter  months  that  this  boat's  crew  have  had  no  tid 
ings  of  the  world,  or  they  may  have  three  hundred 
emigrants  and  wrecked  crews,  waiting  to  be  carried 
off.  The  hurried  greetings  over,  news  told  and 
newspapers  and  letters  given,  the  visitor  prepares 
to  return  with  them  to  the  island.  Should  it  be 
evening,  he  will  see  the  cutter  already  under  weigh 


286  ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

and  standing  seaward;  but,  should  it  be  fine 
weather,  plenty  of  day,  and  wind  right  off  the 
shore,  even  then  she  lies  to  the  wind  anchor  apeak, 
and  mainsail  hoisted,  ready  to  run  at  a  moment's 
notice,  so  sudden  are  the  shifts  of  wind,  and  so  hard 
to  claw  off  from  those  treacherous  shores.  But  the 
life-boat  is  now  entering  the  perpetual  fringe  of 
surf — a  few  seals  tumble  and  play  in  the  broken 
waters,  and  the  stranger  draws  his  breath  hard,  as 
the  crew  bend  to  their  oars,  the  helmsman  standing 
high  in  the  pointed  stern,  with  loud  command  and 
powerful  arm  keeping  her  true,  the  great  boat  goes 
riding  on  the  back  of  a  huge  wave,  and  is  carried 
high  up  on  the  beach  in  a  mass  of  struggling  water. 
To  spring  from  their  seats  into  the  water,  and  hold 
hard  the  boat,  now  on  the  point  of  being  swept 
back  by  the  receding  wave,  is  the  work  of  an  in 
stant.  Another  moment  they  are  left  high  and 
dry  on  the  beach,  another,  and  the  returning  wave 
and  a  vigorous  run  of  the  crew  has  borne  her  out 
of  all  harm's  wTay. 

"Such  is  the  ceremony  of  landing  at  Sable 
Island  nine  or  ten  months  out  of  the  year :  though 
there  are  at  times  some  sweet  halcyon  days  when  a 
lad  might  land  in  a  flat.  Dry-shod  the  visitor 
picks  his  way  between  the  thoroughly  drenched 
crew,  picks  up  a  huge  scallop  or  two,  admires  the 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  287 

tumbling  play  of  the  round-headed  seals,  and  plods 
his  way  through  the  deep  sand  of  an  opening 
between  the  hills,  or  gulch  (so  called)  to  the  head 
quarters  establishment.  And  here,  for  the  last 
fifty  years,  a  kind  welcome  has  awaited  all,  be  they 
voluntary  idlers  or  sea-wrecked  men.  Screened  by 
the  sand-hills,  here  is  a  well-stocked  barn  and  barn 
yard,  filled  with  its  ordinary  inhabitants,  sleek 
milch  cows  and  heady  bulls,  lazy  swine,  a  horse 
grazing  at  a  tether,  with  geese  and  ducks  and  fowls 
around.  Two  or  three  large  stores  and  boat-houses, 
quarters  for  the  men,  the  Superintendent's  house, 
blacksmith  shop,  sailors'  home  for  sea-wrecked  men, 
and  oil-house,  stand  around  an  irregular  square, 
and  surmounted  by  the  tall  flag-staff  and  crow's 
nest  on  the  neighboring  hill.  So  abrupt  the  con 
trast,  so  snug  the  scene,  if  the  roar  of  the  ocean 
were  out  of  his  ears,  one  might  fancy  himself 
twenty  miles  inland. 

"  Nearly  the  first  thing  the  visitor  does  is  to 
mount  the  flag-staff,  and  climbing  into  the  crow's 
nest,  scan  the  scene.  The  ocean  bounds  him  every 
where.  Spread  east  and  west,  he  views  the  nar 
row  island  in  form  of  a  bow,  as  if  the  great 
Atlantic  waves  had  bent  it  around,  nowhere  much 
above  a  mile  wide,  twenty-six  miles  long,  including 


ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

the  dry  bars,  and  holding  a  shallow  lake  thirteen 
miles  long  in  its  centre. 

"  There  it  all  lies  spread  like  a  map  at  his  feet- 
grassy  hill  and  sandy  valley  fading  away  into  the 
distance.  On  the  foreground  the  outpost  men 
galloping  their  rough  ponies  into  head-quarters, 
recalled  by  the  flag  flying  above  his  head;  the 
"West-end  house  of  refuge,  with  bread  and  matches, 
firewood  and  kettle,  and  directions  to  find  water, 
and  head-quarters  with  flag-staff  on  the  adjoining 
hill.  Every  sandy  peak  or  grassy  knoll  with  a 
dead  man's  name  or  old  ship's  tradition — Baker's 
Hill,  Trott's  Cove.  Scotchman's  Head,  French  Gar 
dens — traditionary  spot  where  the  poor  convicts 
expiated  their  social  crimes — the  little  burial- 
ground  nestling  in  the  long  grass  of  a  high  hill, 
and  consecrated  to  the  repose  of  many  a  sea-tossed 
limb ;  and  two  or  three  miles  down  the  shallow 
lake,  the  South-side  house  and  barn,  and  staff  and 
boats  lying  on  the  lake  beside  the  door.  Nine 
miles  further  down,  by  the  help  of  a  glass,  he  may 
view  the  flag-staff  at  the  foot  of  the  lake,  and  five 
miles  further  the  East-end  look-out,  with  its  staff 
and  watch-house.  Herds  of  wild  ponies  dot  the 
hills,  and  black  duck  and  sheldrakes  are  heading 
their  young  broods  on  the  mirror-like  ponds.  Seals 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  289 

innumerable  are  basking  on  the  warm  sands,  or 
piled  like  ledges  of  rock  along  the  shores.  The 
Glascow's  bow,  the  Maskonemet's  stern,  the  East 
Boston's  hulk,  and  the  grinning  ribs  of  the  well- 
fastened  Guide  are  spotting  the  sands,  each  with 
its  tale  of  last  adventure,  hardships  passed,  and 
toil  endured.  The  whole  picture  is  set  in  a  silver- 
frosted  frame  of  rolling  surf  and  sea-ribbed  sand." 

The  patrol  duty  of  the  sable  islander  is  tnus 
described : 

"  Mounted  upon  his  hardy  pony,  the  solitary 
patrol  starts  upon  his  lonely  way.  He  rides  up  the 
centre  valleys,  ever  and  anon  mounting  a  grassy 
hill  to  look  seaward,  reaches  the  West-end  bar, 
speculates  upon  perchance  a  broken  spar,  an  empty 
bottle,  or  a  cask  of  beef  struggling'  in  the  land- 
wash — now  fords  the  shallow  lake,  looking  well  for 
his  land-range,  to  escape  the  hole  where  Baker  was 
drowned;  and  coming  on  the  breeding-ground  of 
the  countless  birds,  his  pony's  hoof  with  a  reckless 
smash  goes  crunching  through  a  dozen  eggs  or 
callow  young.  He  fairly  puts  his  pony  to  her 
mettle  to  escape  the  cloud  of  angry  birds  which, 
arising  in  countless  numbers,  dent  his  weather- 
beaten  tarpaulin  with  their  sharp  bills,  and  snap 

13 


290  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

his  pony's  ears,  and  confuse  him  with  their  sharp, 
shrill  cries.  Ten  minutes  more,  and  he  is  holding 
hard  to  count  the  seals.  There  they  lie,  old  ocean 
flocks,  resting  their  wave-tossed  limbs — great  ocean 
bulls,  and  cows,  and  calves.  He  marks  them  all. 
The  wary  old  male  turns  his  broad  moustached 
nostrils  to  the  tainted  gale  of  man  and  horse  sweep 
ing  down  upon  them,  and  the  whole  herd  are 
simultaneously  lumbering  a  retreat.  And  now  he 
goes,  plying  his  little  short  whip,  charging  the 
wrhole  herd  to  cut  off  their  retreat  for  the  pleasure 
and  fun  of  galloping  in  ,ind  over  and  amongst  fifty 
great  bodies,  rolling  and  tumbling  and  tossing,  and 
splashing  the  surf  in  their  awkward  endeavors  to 
escape." 

• 

And  now  to  return  to  our  pony,  who  seems  to 
sympathize  with  his  fellow-traveller,  for  every  in 
stant  he  raises  his  head  as  if  he  would  peep  into 
his  note-book.  Let  me  quote  this  of  him  and  of 
his  brethren : 

"When  the  present  breed  of  wild  ponies  was 
introduced,  there  is  no  record.  In  an  old  print, 
seemingly  a  hundred  years  old,  they  are  depicted 
as  being  lassoed  by  men  in  cocked  hats  and  antique 
habiliments.  At  present,  three  or  four  hundred  are 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  291 

their  utmost  numbers,  and  it  is  curious  to  observe 
how  in  their  figures  and  habits  they  approach  the 
wild  races  of  Mexico  or  the  Ukraine.  They  are 
divided  into  herds  or  gangs,  each  having  a  separate 
pasture,  and  each  presided  over  by  an  old  male, 
conspicuous  by  the  length  of  his  mane,  rolling  in 
tangled  masses  over  eye  and  ear  down  to  his  fore 
arm.  Half  his  time  seems  taken  up  in  tossing  it 
from  his  eyes  as  he  collects  his  out-lying  mares  and 
foals  on  the  approach  of  strangers,  and  keeping 
them  well  up  in  a  pack  boldly  faces  the  enemy 
whilst  they  retreat  at  a  gallop.  If  pressed,  how 
ever,  he,  too,  retreats  on  their  rear.  He  brooks  no 
undivided  allegiance,  and  many  a  fierce  battle  is 
waged  by  the  contending  chieftains  for  the  honor 
of  the  herd.  In  form  they  resemble  the  wild 
horses  of  all  lands :  the  large  head,  thick,  shaggy 
neck  of  the  male,  low  withers,  paddling  gait,  and 
sloping  quarters,  have  all  their  counterparts  in  the 
mustang  and  the  horse  of  the  Ukraine.  There 
seems  a  remarkable  tendency  in  these  horses  to 
assume  the  Isabella  colors,  the  light  chestnuts,  and 
even  the  piebalds  or  paint  horses  of  the  Indian 
prairies  or  the  Mexican  Savannah.  The  annual 
drive  or  herding,  usually  resulting  in  the  whole 
island  being  swept  from  end  to  end,  and  a  kicking, 
snorting,  half-terrified  mass  driven  into  a  largo 


ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

pound,  from  which  two  or  three  dozen  are  selected, 
lassoed,  and  exported  to  town,  affords  fine  sport, 
wild  riding,  and  plenty  of  falls." 
Thus  much  for  Sable  Island. 

"  Dark  isle  of  mourning !  aptly  art  thou  named, 

For  thou  hast  been  the  cause  of  many  a  tear ; 
For  deeds  of  treacherous  strife  too  justly  famed, 

The  Atlantic's  charnel — desolate  and  drear ; 

A  thing  none  love,  though  wand'ring  thousands  fear — 
If  for  a  moment  rest  the  Muse's  wing 

Where  through  the  waves  thy  sandy  wastes  appear, 
JTis  that  she  may  one  strain  of  horror  sing, 
Wild  as  the  dashing  waves  that  tempests  o'er  thee  fling."* 

And  now  pony  we  must  part.  Windsor  ap 
proaches  !  Yonder  among  the  embowering 
trees  is  the  residence  of  Judge  Halliburton, 
the  author  of  "Sam  Slick."  How  I  admire 
him  for  his  hearty  hostility  to  republican  institu 
tions  !  It  is  natural,  straightforward,  shrewd,  and, 
no  doubt,  sincere.  At  the  same  time,  it  affords  an 
example  of.  how  much  the  colonist  or  satellite  form 
of  government  tends  to  limit  the  scope  of  the  mind, 
which  under  happier  skies  and  in  a  wider  iiitelli- 
gence  might  have  shone  to  advantage. 

*  Poem  by  the  Hon.  Joseph  Howe. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  293 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

Windsor-upon-Avon — Ride  to  the  Gasperau — The  Basin  of  Minas — 
Blomidon — This  is  the  Acadian  Land — Basil,  the  Blacksmith — A 
Yankee  Settlement — Useless  Reflections. 

WINDSOR  lies  upon  the  river  Avon.  It  is  not  the 
Avon  which  runs  by  Stratford's  storied  banks,  but 
still  it  is  the  Avon.  There  is  something  in  a  name. 
Witness  it,  O  river  of  the  Blue  Noses  ! 

I  cannot  recall  a  prettier  village  than  this.  It" 
you  doubt  my  word,  come  and  see  it.  Yonder  we 
discern  a  portion  of  the  Basin  of  Minas  ;  around  us 
are  the  rich  meadows  of  Nova  Scotia.  Intellect 
has  here  placed  a  crowning  college  upon  a  hill ; 
opulence  has  surrounded  it  with  picturesque  villas. 
A  ride  into  the  country,  a  visit  to  a  bachelor's 
lodge,  studded  wTith  horns  of  moose  and  cariboo, 
with  woodland  scenes  and  Landseer's  pictures,  and 
then — over  the  bridge,  and  over  the  Avon,  towards 
Grand-Pre  and  the  Gasperau  !  I  suppose,  by  this 
time,  my  dear  reader,  you  are  tired  of  sketches  of 
lake  scenery,  mountain  scenery,  pines  and  spruces, 
strawberry  blossoms,  and  other  natural  features  of 


294:  A  C  A  D  I  A ,    OR    A    MONTH 

the  province?  For  my  part,  I  rode  through  a 
strawberry-bed  three  hundred  miles  long — from 
Sydney  to  Halifax — diversified  by  just  such  patches 
of  scenery,  and  was  not  tired  of  it.  But  it  is  a  dif 
ferent  matter  when  you  come  to  put  it  on  paper. 
So  I  forbear. 

Up  hill  we  go,  soon  to  approach  the  tragic  the 
atre.  A  crack  of  the  whip,  a  stretch  of  the  leaders, 
and  now,  suddenly,  the  whole  valley  comes  in  view ! 
Before  us  are  the  great  waters  of  Minas ;  yonder 
Blomidon  bursts  upon  the  sight ;  and  below,  curv 
ing  like  a  scimitar  around  the  edge  of  the  Basin, 
and  against  the  distant  cliffs  that  shut  out  the 
stormy  Bay  of  Fundy,  is  the  Acadian  land — the 
idyllic  meadows  of  Grand-Pre  lie  at  our  feet. 

The  Abbe  Reynal's  account  of  the  colony,  as  it 
appeared  one  hundred  years  ago,  I  take  from  the 
pages  of  Haliburton : 

"  Hunting  and  fishing,  which  had  formerly  been 
the  delight  of  the  colony,  and  might  have  still  sup 
plied  it  with  subsistence,  had  no  further  attraction 
for  a  simple  and  quiet  people,  and  gave  way  to 
agriculture,  which  had  been  established  in  the 
marshes  and  low  lands,  by  repelling  with  dykes  the 
sea  and  rivers  which  covered  these  plains.  These 
grounds  yielded  fifty  for  one  at  first,  and  afterwards 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  295 

fifteen  or  twenty  for  one  at  least ;  wheat  and  oats 
succeeded  best  in  them,  but  they  likewise  produced 
rye,  barley  and  maize.  There  were  also  potatoes  in 
great  plenty,  the  use  of  which  was  become  common. 
At  the  same  time  these  immense  meadows  were 
covered  with  numerous  flocks.  They  computed  as 
many  as  sixty  thousand  head  of  horned  cattle  ;  and 
most  families  had  several  horses,  though  the  tillage 
was  carried  on  by  oxen.  Their  habitations,  which 
were  constructed  of  wood,  were  extremely  conve 
nient,  and  furnished  as  neatly  as  substantial  farm 
er's  houses  in  Europe.  They  reared  a  great  deal 
of  poultry  of  all  kinds,  which  made  a  variety  in 
their  food,  at  once  wholesome  and  plentiful.  Their 
ordinary  drink  was  beer  and  cider,  to  which  they 
sometimes  added  rum.  Their  usual  clothing  was 
in  general  the  produce  of  their  own  flax,  or  the 
fleeces  of  their  own  sheep ;  with  these  they  made 
common  linens  and  coarse  cloths.  If  any  of  them 
had  a  desire  for  articles  of  greater  luxury,  they  pro 
cured  them  from  Annapolis  or  Louisburg,  and  gave 
in  exchange  corn,  cattle  or  furs.  The  neutral 
French  had  nothing  else  to  give  their  neighbors, 
and  made  still  fewer  exchanges  among  themselves ; 
because  each  separate  family  was  able,  and  had 
been  accustomed  to  provide  for  its  own  wants. 
They  therefore  knew  nothing  of  paper  currency, 


ACADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

which  was  so  common  throughout  the  rest  of  North 
America.  Even  the  small  quantity  of  gold  and 
silver  which  had  been  introduced  into  the  colony, 
did  not  inspire  that  activity  in  which  consists  its 
real  value.  Their  manners  were  of  course  extremely 
simple.  There  was  seldom  a  cause,  either  civil  or 
criminal,  of  importance  enough  to  be  carried  be 
fore  the  Court  of  Judication,  established  at  Anna 
polis.  Whatever  little  differences  arose  from  time 
to  time  among  them,  were  amicably  adjusted  by 
their  elders.  All  their  public  acts  were  drawn  by 
their  pastors,  who  had  likewise  the  keeping  of  their 
wills ;  for  which,  and  their  religious  services,  the 
inhabitants  paid  a  twenty-seventh  part  of  their  har 
vest,  which  was  always  sufficient  to  afford  more 
means  than  there  were  objects  of  generosity. 

"  Real  misery  was  wholly  unknown,  and  benevo 
lence  anticipated  the  demands  of  poverty.*  Every 
misfortune  was  relieved,  as  it  were,  before  it  could 
be  felt,  without  ostentation  on  the  one  hand,  and 
without  meanness  on  the  other.  It  was,  in  short,  a 
society  of  brethren  ;  every  individual  of  which  was 

*  At  the  present  moment,  the  poor  in  the  Township  of  Clare 
are  maintained  by  the  inhabitants  at  large ;  and  being  members  of 
one  great  family,  spend  the  remainder  of  their  days  in  visits  from 
house  to  house.  An  illegitimate  child  is  almost  unknown  in  the 
settlements. 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  297 

equally  ready  to  give,  and  to  receive,  what  lie 
thought  the  common  right  of  mankind.  So  perfect 
a  harmony  naturally  prevented  all  those  connections 
of  gallantry  which  are  so  often  fatal  to  the  peace 
of  families.  This  evil  was  prevented  by  early  mar 
riages,  for  no  one  passed  his  youth  in  a  state  of 
celibacy.  As  soon  as  a  young  man  arrived  to  the 
proper  age,  the  community  built  him  a  house, 
broke  up  the  lands  about  it,  and  supplied  him  with 
all  the  necessaries  of  life  for  a  twelvemonth.  There 
he  received  the  partner  whom  he  had  chosen,  and 
who  brought  him  her  portion  in  flocks.  This  new 
family  grew  and  prospered  like  the  others.  In 
1755,  all  together  made  a  population  of  eighteen 
thousand  souls.  Such  is  the  picture  of  these  people, 
as  drawn  by  the  Abbe  Keynal.  By  many,  it  is 
thought  to  represent  a  state  of  social  happiness 
totally  inconsistent  with  the  frailties  and  passions 
of  human  nature,  and  that  it  is  worthy  rather  of  the 
poet  than  the  historian.  In  describing  a  scene  of 
rural  felicity  like  this,  it  is  not  improbable  that  his 
narrative  has  partaken  of  the  warmth  of  feeling  for 
which  he  was  remarkable  ;  but  it  comes  much 
nearer  the  truth  than  is  generally  imagined.  Tra 
dition  is  fresh  and  positive  in  the  various  parts  of 
the  United  States  where  they  were  located  respect 
ing  their  guileless,  peaceable,  and  scrupulous  cha- 

13* 


298  AC  AD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

racter ;  and  the  descendants  of  those,  whose  long 
cherished  and  endearing  local  attachment  induced 
them  to  return  to  the  land  of  their  nativity,  still 
deserve  the  name  of  a  mild,  frugal,  and  pious 
people." 

As  we  rest  here  upon  the  summit  of  the  Gaspe- 
rau  Mountain,  and  look  down  on  yonder  valley,  we 
can  readily  imagine  such  a  people.  A  pastoral 
people,  rich  in  meadow-lands,  secured  by  laborious 
dykes,  and  secluded  from  the  struggling  outside 
world.  But  we  miss  the  thatch-roof  cottages,  by 
hundreds,  which  should  be  the  prominent  feature 
in  the  picture,  the  vast  herds  of  cattle,  the  belfries 
of  scattered  village  chapels,  the  murmur  of  evening 
fields, 

"  Where  peace  was  tinkling  in  the  shepherd's  bell, 
And  singing  with  the  reapers." 

These  no  longer  exist : 

"  Naught  but  tradition  remains  of  the  beautiful  village  of  Grand- 
Pre." 

I  sank  back  in  the  stage  as  it  rolled  down  the 
mountain-road,  and  fairly  covered  my  eyes  with  my 
hands,  as  I  repeated  Webster's  boast:  "Thank 
God!  I  too  am  an  American."  "But,"  said  I,  re 
covering,  "thank  God,  I  belong  to  a  State  that  has 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  299 

Dever  bragged  much  of  its  great  moral  antece 
dents  !"  and  in  that  reflection  I  felt  comforted,  and 
the  load  on  my  back  a  little  lightened. 

A  few  weeping  willows,  the  never-failing  relics 
of  an  Acadian  settlement,  jet  remain  on  the  road 
side  ;  these,  with  the  dykes  and  Great  Prairie  itself, 
are  the  only  memorials  of  a  once  happy  people. 
The  sun  was  just  sinking  behind  the  Gasper  an 
mountains  as  we  entered  the  ancient  village.  There 
was  a  smithy  beside  the  stage-house,  and  we  could 
see  the  dusky  glow  of  the  forge  within,  and  the 
swart  mechanic 

"  Take  in  his  leathern  lap  the  hoof  of  the  horse  as  a  plaything, 
Nailing  the  shoe  in  its  place." 

But  it  was  not  Basil  the  Blacksmith,  nor  one  of  his 
descendants,  that  held  the  horse-hoof.  The  face  of 
the  smith  was  of  the  genuine  New  England  type, 
and  just  such  faces  as  I  saw  everywhere  in  the  vil 
lage.  In  the  shifting  panorama  of  the  itinerary  I 
suddenly  found  myself  in  a  hnndred-y ear-old  colony 
of  genuine  Yankees,  the  real  true  blues  of  Connecti 
cut,  quilted  in  amidst  the  blue  noses  of  Nova 
Scotia. 

But  of  the  poor  Acadians  not  one  remains  now 
in  the  ancient  village.  It  is  a  solemn  comment 
upon  their  peaceful  and  unrevengeful  natures,  that 


300  A  CAD  I  A,    OR    A    MONTH 

two  hundred  settlers  from  New  England  remained 
unmolested  upon  their  lands,  and  that  the  descend 
ants  of  those  New  England  settlers  now  occupy 
them.  A  solemn  comment  upon  our  history,  and 
the  touching  epitaph  of  an  exterminated  race. 

Much  as  we  may  admire  the  various  bays  and 
lakes,  the  inlets,  promontories,  and  straits,  the 
mountains  and  woodlands  of  this  rarely- visited  cor 
ner  of  creation — and,  compared  with  it,  we  can 
boast  of  no  coast  scenery  so  beautiful — the  valley 
of  Grand-Pre  transcends  all  the  rest  in  the  Pro 
vince.  Only  our  valley  of  Wyoming,  as  an  inland 
picture,  may  match  it,  both  in  beauty  and  tradition. 
One  has  had  its  Gertrude,  the  other  its  Evangeline. 
But  Campbell  never  saw  Wyoming,  nor  has  Long 
fellow  yet  visited  the  shores  of  the  Basin  of  Minas. 
And  I  may  venture  to  say,  neither  poet  has  touched 
the  key-note  of  divine  anger  which  either  story 
might  have  awakened. 

But  let  us  be  thankful  for  those  simple  and  beau 
tiful  idyls.  After  all,  it  is  a  question  whether  the 
greatest  and  noblest  impulses  of  man  are  not 
awakened  rather  by  the  sympathy  we  feel  for  the 
oppressed,  than  by  the  hatred  engendered  by  the 
acts  of  the  oppressor  ? 

I  wish  I  could  shake  off  these  useless  reflections 
of  a  bygone  period.  But  who  can  help  it  ? 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  301 

"  This  is  the  forest  primeval ;  but  where  are  the  hearts  that  be 
neath  it 

Leaped  like  the  roe  when  it  hears  in  the  woodland  the  voice  of  the 
huntsman  ? 

Where  is  the  thatch-roof  village,  the  home  of  Acadian  farmers — 

Men  whose  lives  glided  on  like  rivers  that  water  the  woodlands  ? 

Waste  are  those  pleasant  farms,  and  the  farmers  forever  de 
parted  !" 


302  AC AD I A,     OR    A    MONTH 


CHAPTER   XX. 

The  Valley  of  Acadia — A  Morning  Ride  to  the  Dykes — An  unex 
pected  Wild-duck  Chase— High  Tides — The  Gasperau— Sunset — 
The  Lamp  of  History — Conclusion. 

THE  eastern  sun  glittered  on  roof  and  window-pane 
next  morning.  Neat  houses  in  the  midst  of  trim 
gardens,  rise  tier  above  tier  on  the  hill-slopes  that 
overlook  the  prairie  lands.  A  green  expanse,  seve 
ral  miles  in  width,  extends  to  the  edge  of  the  dykes, 
and  in  the  distance,  upon  its  verge,  here  and  there 
a  farmhouse  looms  up  in  the  warm  haze  of  a  sum 
mer  morning.  On  the  left  hand  the  meadows  roll 
away  until  they  are  merged  in  the  bases  of  the  cliffs 
that,  stretching  forth  over  the  blue  water  of  the 
Basin,  end  abruptly  at  Cape  Blomidon.  These  cliffs 
are  precise  counterparts  of  our  own  Palisades,  on 
the  Hudson.  Then  to  the  right,  again,  the  vision 
follows  the  hazy  coast-line  until  it  melts  in  the 
indistinct  outline  of  wave  and  vapor,  back  of  which 
rises  the  Gasperau  mountain,  that  protects  the  val 
ley  on  the  east  with  corresponding  barriers  of  rock 
and  forest.  Within  this*  hemicycle  lie  the  waters 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  303 

of  Minas,  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  horizon-line, 
the  clouds  and  the  sky. 

Once  happy  Acadia  nestled  in  this  valley.  Does 
it  not  seem  incredible  that  even  Puritan  tyranny 
could  have  looked  with  hard  and  pitiless  eyes  upon 
such  a  scene,  and  invade  with  rapine,  sword  and 
fire,  the  peace  and  serenity  of  a  land  so  fair? 

A  morning  ride  across  the  Grand-Pre  convinced 
me  that  the  natural  opulence  of  the  valley  had  not 
been  exaggerated.  These  once  desolate  and  bitter 
marshes,  reclaimed  from  the  sea  by  the  patient 
labor  of  the  French  peasant,  are  about  three  miles 
broad  by  twenty  miles  long.  The  prairie  grass, 
even  at  this  time  of  year,  is  knee-deep,  and,  as  I 
was  informed,  yields,  without  cultivation,  from  two 
to  four  tons  to  the  acre.  The  fertility  of  the  valley 
in  other  respects  is  equally  great.  The  dyke  lands 
are  intersected  by  a  network  of  white  causeways, 
raised  above  the  level  of  the  meadows.  We  passed 
over  these  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  dykes.  "  These 
lands,"  said  my  young  companion,  "  are  filled  in 
the  season  with  immense  flocks  of  all  kinds  of 
feathered  game."  And  I  soon  had  reason  to  be 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  it,  for  just  then  we  started 
up  what  seemed  to  be  a  wounded  wild-duck,  upon 
which  out  leaped  my  companion  from  the  wagon 
and  gave  chase.  A  bunch  of  tall  grass,  upon  the 


304:  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

edge  of  a  little  pool,  lay  between  him  and  the  game ; 
he  brushed  hastily  through  this,  and  out  of  it  poured 
a  little  feathered  colony.  As  these  young  ones  were 
not  yet  able  to  fly,  they  were  soon  ^captured — seven 
little  black  ducks  safely  nestled  together  under  the 
seat  of  the  wagon,  and  poor  Niobe  trailed  her 
broken  wing  within  a  tempting  distance  in  vain. 

"We  were  soon  upon  the  dykes  themselves,  which 
are  raised  upon  the  edge  of  the  meadows,  and  are 
quite  insignificant  in  height,  albeit  of  great  extent 
otherwise.  But  from  the  bottom  of  the  dykes  to 
the  edge  of  yonder  sparkling  water,  there  is  a  bare 
beach,  full  three  miles  in  extent.  What  does  this 
mean  ?  What  are  these  dykes  for,  if  the  enemy  is 
so  far  off  ?  The  answer  to  this  query  discloses  a  re 
markable  phenomenon.  The  tide  in  this  part  of 
the  world  rises  sixty  or  seventy  feet  every  twelve 
hours.  At  present  the  beach  is  bare ;  the  five 
rivers  of  the  valley— the  Gasperau,  the  Cornwallis, 
the  Canard,  the  Habitant,  the  Perot — are  empty. 
Betimes  the  tide  will  roll  in  in  one  broad  unretreat- 
ing  wave,  surging  and  shouldering  its  way  over  the 
expanse,  filling  all  the  rivers,  and  dashing  against 
the  protecting  barriers  under  our  feet ;  but  before 
sunset  the  rivers  will  be  emptied  again,  the  bridges 
will  uselessly  hang  in  the  air  over  the  deserted 
channels,  the  beach  will  yawn  wide  and  bare  where 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  305 

a  ship  of  the  line  might  have  anchored.  Some 
times  a  stranger  schooner  from  New  England, 
secure  in  a  safe  distance  from  shore,  drops  down  in 
six  or  seven  fathom.  Then,  suddenly,  the  ebb  sweeps 
off  from  the  intruder,  and  leaves  his  two-master 
keeled  over,  with  useless  anchor  and  cable  exposed, 
"  to  point  a  moral  and  adorn  a  tale."  Sometimes 
a  party  will  take  boat  for  a  row  upon,  the  placid 
bosom  of  this  bay  ;  but  woe  unto  them  if  they  con 
sult  not  the  almanac !  A  mistake  may  leave  them 
high  and  dry  on  the  beach,  miles  from  the  dykes, 
and  as  the  tide  comes  in  with  a  bore,  a  sudden 
influx,  wave  above  wave,  the  risk  is  imminent. 

I  passed  two  days  in  this  happy  valley,  sometimes 
riding  across  to  the  dykes,  sometimes  visiting  the 
neighboring  villages,  sometimes  wandering  on  foot 
over  the  hills  to  the  upper  waters  of  the  rivers. 
And  the  Gasperau  in  particular  is  an  attractive 
little  mountain  sylph,  as  it  comes  skipping  down 
the  rocks,  breaking  here  and  there  out  in  a  broad 
cascade,  or  rippling  and  singing  in  the  heart  of  the 
grand  old  forest.  I  think  my  friend  Kensett  might 
pet  his  pallet  here,  and  pitch  a  brief  tent  by  Minas 
and  the  Gasperau  to  advantage.  For  my  own  part, 
T  would  that  I  had  my  trout-pole  and  a  fly  ! 

But  now  the  sun  sinks  behind  the  cliffs  of 
Blow-me-down.  To-morrow  I  must  take  the 


306  AOADIA,    OR    A    MONTH 

steamer  for  home,  "sweet  home!"  What  shall  1 
say  in  conclusion?  Shall  I  stop  here  and  write 
jinis,  or  once  more  trim  the  lamp  of  history  ?  I 
feel  as  it  were  the  whole  wrongs  of  the  French 
Province  concentrated  here,  as  in  the  last  drop  of 
its  life  blood,  no  tender  dream  of  pastoral  descrip 
tion,  no  clever  veil  of  elaborate  verse,  can  conceal 
the  hideous  features  of  this  remorseless  act,  this 
wanton  and  useless  deed  of  New  England  cruelty. 
Do  not  mistake  me,  my  reader.  Do  not  think  that 
I  am  prejudiced  against  New  England.  But  1  hate 
tyranny — under  whatever  disguise,  or  in  whatever 
shape — in  an  individual,  or  in  a  nation — in  a  state,  or 
in  a  congregation  of  states ;  so  do  you ;  and  of  course 
you  will  agree  with  me,  that  so  long  as  the  maxim 
obtains,  "  that  the  object  justifies  the  means,"  cer 
tain  effects  must  follow,  and  this  maxim  was  the 
guiding  star  of  our  forefathers  when  they  marched 
into  the  French  province. 

The  peculiar  situation  of  the  Acadians,  embar 
rassed  the  colonists  of  Massachusetts.  The  French 
neutrals,  had  taken  the  oath  of  fidelity,  but  they 
refused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  which  com 
pelled  them  to  bear  arms  against  their  countrymen, 
and  the  Indians,  who  from  first  to  last  had  been 
their  constant  and  devoted-  friends.  The  long 
course  of  persecution,  for  a  century  and  a  half, 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  307 

had  struck  but  one  spark  of  resistance  from  this 
people — the  stand  of  the  three  hundred  young 
warriors  at  Fort  Sejour.  Upon  this  act  followed 
the  retaliation  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  They  de 
termined  to  remove  and  disperse  the  Acadians 
among  the  British  colonies.  To  carry  out  this  edict, 
Colonel  Winslow,  with  five  transports  and  a  suffi 
cient  force  of  New  England  troops,  was  dispatched 
to  the  Basin  of  Minas.  At  a  consultation,  held 
between  Colonel  Winslow  and  Captain  Murray,  it 
was  agreed  that  a  proclamation  should  be  issued  at 
the  different  settlements,  requiring  the  attendance 
of  the  people  at  the  respective  posts  on  the  same 
day ;  which  proclamation  would  be  so  ambiguous 
in  its  nature,  that  the  object  for  which  they  were  to 
assemble  could  not  be  discerned,  and  so  peremptory 
in  its  terms,  as  to  insure  implicit  obedience.  This 
instrument  having  been  drafted  and  approved,  was 
distributed  according  to  the  original  plan.  That 
which  was  addressed  to  the  people  inhabiting  the 
country  now  comprised  within  the  limit  of  King's 
County,  was  as  follows : 

" f  To  the  inhabitants  of  the  District  of  Grand-Pre, 
Minas,  River  Canard,  etc.;  as  well  ancient,  as 
young  men  and  lads : 
" c  Whereas,   his   Excellency  the  Governor  has 


308  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

instructed  us  of  his  late  resolution,  respecting  the 
matter  proposed  to  the  inhabitants,  and  has  ordered 
us  to  communicate  the  same  in  person,  his  Excel 
lency,  being  desirous  that  each  of  them  should  be 
fully  satisfied  of  his  Majesty's  intentions,  which  he 
has  also  ordered  us  to  communicate  to  you,  such  as 
they  have  been  given  to  him  :  "We  therefore  order  and 
strictly  enjoin,  by  these  presents,  all  of  the  inhab 
itants,  as  well  of  the  above-named  District,  as  of  all 
the  other  Districts,  both  old  men  and  young  men, 
as  well  as  all  the  lads  of  ten  years  of  age,  to  attend 
at  the  church  at  Grand-Pre*,  on  Friday  the  fifth 
instant,  at  three  of  the  clock  in  the  afternoon,  that 
we  may  impart  to  them  what  we  are  ordered  to 
communicate  to  them;  declaring  that"  no  excuse 
will  be  admitted  on  any  pretence  whatever,  on  pain 
of  forfeiting  goods  and  chattels,  in  default  of  real 
estate.  —  Given  at  Grand  Pre,  second  September, 
1755,  and  twenty-ninth  year  of  his  Majesty's  reign. 


"In  obedience  to  this  summons,  four  hundred 
and  eighteen  able-bodied  men  assembled.  These 
being  shut  into  the  church  (for  that  too  had  become 
an  arsenal),  Colonel  Winslow  placed  himself  with 
his  officers,  in  the  centre,  and  addressed  them 
thus  : 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  309 

" '  GENTLEMEN  :  I  have  received  from  his  Excel 
lency,  Governor  Lawrence,  the  King's  commission, 
which  I  have  in  my  hand ;  and  by  his  orders  you 
are  convened  together,  to  manifest  to  you  his  Majes 
ty's  final  resolution  to  the  French  inhabitants  of 
this  his  province  of  Nova  Scotia ;  who,  for  almost 
half  a  century,  have  had  more  indulgence  granted 
them  than  any  of  his  subjects  in  any  part  of  his 
dominions ;  what  use  you  have  made  of  it  you 
yourselves  best  know.  The  part  of  duty  I  am  now 
upon,  though  necessary,  is  very  disagreeable  to  my 
natural  make  and  temper,  as  I  know  it  must  be 
grievous  to  you,  who  are  of  the  same  species ;  but 
it  is  not  my  business  to  animadvert,  but  to  obey 
such  orders  as  I  receive,  and  therefore,  without 
hesitation,  shall  deliver  you  his  Majesty's  orders 
and  instructions,  namely,  that  your  lands  and  tene 
ments,  cattle  of  all  kinds  and  live  stock  of  all  sorts, 
are  forfeited  to  the  Crown ;  with  all  other  your 
effects,  saving  your  money  and  household  goods, 
and  you  yourselves  to  be  removed  from  this  his 
province. 

" '  Thus  it  is  peremptorily  his  Majesty's  orders, 
that  the  whole  French   inhabitants   of  these  Dis 
tricts  be  removed ;  and  I  am,  through  his  Majesty's 
goodness,  directed  to  allow  you  liberty  to  carry  off 
your  money  and  household  goods,  as  many  as  you 


310  ACADIA,     OR    A    MONTH 

can  without  discommoding  the  vessels  you  go  in. 
I  shall  do  everything  in  my  power  that  all  those 
goods  be  secured  to  you,  and  that  you  are  not 
molested  in  carrying  them  off;  also  that  whole 
families  shall  go  in  the  same  vessel,  and  make  this 
remove,  which  I  am  sensible  must  give  you  a  great 
deal  of  trouble,  as  easy  as  his  Majesty's  service  will 
admit :  and  hope  that,  in  whatever  part  of  the 
world  you  may  fall,  you  may  be  faithful  subjects,  a 
peaceable  and  happy  people.  I  must  also  inform 
you  that  it  is  his  Majesty's  pleasure  that  you  remain 
in  security  under  the  inspection  and  direction  of 
the  troops  I  have  the  honor  to  command.' 

"The  poor  people,  unconscious  of  any  crime, 
and  full  of  concern  for  having  incurred  his  Majes 
ty's  displeasure,  petitioned  Colonel  "Winslow  for 
leave  to  visit  their  families,  and  entreated  him  to 
detain  a  part  only  of  the  prisoners  as  hostages; 
urging  with  tears  and  prayers  their  intention  to  ful 
fill  their  promise  of  returning  after  taking  leave  of 
their  kindred  and  consoling  them  in  their  distresses 
and  misfortunes.  The  answer  of  Colonel  Winslow 
to  this  petition  was  to  grant  leave  of  absence  to 
twenty  only,  for  a  single  day.  This  sentence  they 
bore  with  fortitude  and  resignation,  but  when  the 
hour  of  embarkation  arrived,  in  which  they  were 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  311 

to  part  with  their  friends  and  relatives  without  a 
hope  of  ever  seeing  them  again,  and  to  be  dispersed 
among  strangers,  whose  language,  customs,  and 
religion,  were  opposed  to  their  own,  the  weakness 
of  human  nature  prevailed,  and  they  were  over 
powered  with  the  sense  of  their  miseries.  The 
young  men  were  first  ordered  to  go  on  board  of  one 
of  the  vessels.  This  they  instantly  and  peremptorily 
refused  to  do,  declaring  that  they  would  not  leave 
their  parents ;  but  expressed  a  willingness  to  com 
ply  with  the  order,  provided  they  were  permitted  to 
embark  with  their  families.  The  request  was  re 
jected,  and  the  troops  were  ordered  to  fix  bayonets 
and  advance  toward  the  prisoners,  a  motion  which 
had  the  effect  of  producing  obedience  on  the  part 
of  the  young  men,  who  forthwith  commenced  their 
march.  The  road  from  the  chapel  to  the  shore — 
just  one  mile  in  length — was  crowded  with  women 
and  children ;  who,  on  their  knees,  greeted  them  as 
they  passed,  with  their  tears  and  their  blessings; 
while  the  prisoners  advanced  with  slow  and  reluc 
tant  steps,  weeping,  praying,  and  singing  hymns. 
This  detachment  was  followed  by  the  seniors,  who 
passed  through  the  same  scene  of  sorrow  and  dis 
tress.  In  this  manner  was  the  whole  male  part  of 
the  population  of  the  District  of  Minas  put  on  board 
the  five  transports  stationed  in  the  river  Gasperau." 


312  A  CAD  I  A,     OR    A    MONTH 

Now,  my  dear  lady ;  you  who  have  followed  the 
fortunes  of  Evangeline,  in  Longfellow's  beautiful 
poem,  and  haply  wept  over  her  weary  pilgrimage, 
pray  give  a  thought  to  the  rest  of  the  18,000  sent 
into  a  similar  exile !  And  you,  my  dear  friend, 
who  have  listened  to  the  oracles  of  Plymouth  pul 
pits,  take  a  Sabbath  afternoon,  and  calmly  consider 
how  far  you  may  venture  to  place  your  faith  upon 
it,  whether  you  can  subscribe  to  the  idolatrous 
worship  of  that  boulder  stone,  and  say — 

'*  Rock  of  ages  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  to  thy  bosom  flee ;" 

or  whether  you  measure  any  other  act  between  this 
present  time  and  the  past  eighteen  hundred  years, 
except  by  the  eternal  principles  of  Kighteousness 
and  Truth  ? 

Gentle  reader,  as  we  sit  in  this  little  inn-room,  and 
see  the  ragged  edge  of  the  moon  shimmering  over 
the  meadows  of  Grand-Pre",  do  we  not  feel  a  touch 
of  the  sin  that  soiled  her  garments  a  hundred  years 
ago  ?  Had  we  not  better  abstain  from  blowing  our 
Puritan  trumpets  so  loudly,  and  wreathe  with  crape 
our  banners  for  a  season  ?  Let  us  rather  date  from 
more  recent  achievements.  Let  us  take  a  fresh  start 
in  history  and  brag  of  nothing  that  antedates 
Bunker  Hill.  Here  everybody  has  a  hand  to 


WITH    THE    BLUE    NOSES.  313 

applaud.  But  for  the  age  that  preceded  it,  the  least 
said  about  it  the  better !  There,  out  lamp !  and  good 
night  I  to-morrow  "  Home,  sweet  Home  I"  But  I 
love  this  province ! 


14 


APPENDIX, 


APPENDIX. 


PEOOAVI  !  I  hope  the  reader  will  forgive  me  for  my  luckless 
description  of  the  procession  to  lay  the  corner  stone  of  the 
Halifax  Lunatic  Asylum,  in  Chapter  I.  No  person  can  trifle 
or  jest  with  the  object  of  so  noble  a  charity.  But  the  pro 
cession  itself  was  pretty  much  as  I  have  described  it ;  indeed, 
pretty  much  like  all  the  civic  processions  I  have  ever  wit 
nessed  in  any  country.  The  following  account  of  the  results 
of  that  good  work  may  interest  the  reader: 

"  A  visit  to  the  LUNATIC  ASYLUM  building,  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  harbor,  furnishes  some  notes  of  interest.  The  walk 
from  the  ferry  has  very  pleasing  features  of  village,  farming 
and  woodland  character.  The  building  stands  on  a  rising 
ground,  which  commands  a  noble  view  of  the  western  bank 
of  the  harbor  opposite ;  northward,  of  the  Narrows  and  Basin ; 
and  southward,  of  the  islands,  headlands  and  ocean.  The 
medical  superintendent  of  the  institution  is  actively  engaged 
carrying  out  plans  toward  the  completion  of  the  building, 
and  gives  very  courteous  facilities  to  visitors.  The  part  of  the 
Asylum  which  now  appears  of  such  respectable  dimensions  is 
just  one-third  part  of  the  intended  building.  It  is  expected 
to  accommodate  ninety  patients  ;  the  completed  building,  two 
hundred  and  fifty.  The  private  and  public  rooms,  cooking, 


318  APPENDIX. 

serving,  heating  and  oilier  apartments  appear  to  be  very  judi 
ciously  arranged,  with  an  eye  to  good  order,  cheerfulness  and 
thorough  efficiency.  The  building  is  well  drained,  defective 
mason-work  has  been  remedied,  and  all  appears  steadily  ad 
vancing  towards  the  consummation  of  wishes  long  entertained 
by  its  philanthropic  projectors.  The  building  is  to  he  lighted 
with  gas  manufactured  on  the  premises ;  all  the  apartments 
are  to  be  heated  by  steam  ;  and  the  water  required  for  various 
purposes  of  the  establishment,  after  being  conveyed  from  the 
lakes,  is  to  be  raised  to  the  loft  immediately  under  the  roof, 
and  there  held  in  tanks,  ready  for  demand.  The  roofing  we 
understand  to  be  a  model  for  lightness  of  material  and  firm 
ness  of  construction.  The  heating  apparatus  occupies  the 
underground  floor.  It  consists  of  numerous  coils  of  metal 
tnbes,  to  which  the  steam  is  conveyed  from  an  out-building, 
which  contains  the  furnace  and  other  apparatus.  From  the 
hot-air  apartment  the  warm  air  is  conveyed,  by  means  of 
flues,  to  the  various  rooms  of  the  building,  each  flue  being 
under  the  immediate  control  of  the  officers  of  the  institution. 
Ventilation  is  obtained  by  flues  communicating  with  the  space 
just  below  the  roof;  and  the  impure  air  is  expected  to  pass 
off  through  openings  in  the  cupola  which  rises  above  the  roof 
ridges.  By  the  heating  apparatus  the  danger  and  trouble 
consequent  on  numerous  fires  are  avoided,  at  about  the  same 
expense  which  the  common  mode  would  cause.  Very  judi 
cious  arrangements  for  drainage,  laying  off  the  grounds,  etc., 
appear  to  have  been  adopted,  and  are  in  progress.  The 
building  is  to  be  approached  by  a  gracefully  curved  carriage* 
road.  The  grounds  are  to  be  surrounded  by  a  hawthorn 
fence,  immediately  within  which  will  be  a  shaded,  thoroughly 
drained  path  for  walking.  The  slopes  of  the  hill  in  front  are 


APPENDIX.  319 

in  course  of  levelling,  and  will  soon  present  a  scene  of  lawn 
and  grain  field;  while  a  southwest  area  is  laid  off  as  an  ex 
tensive  garden  and  nursery  of  trees  and  shrubs.  This  impor 
tant  appendage  to  such  an  institution  is  charmingly  situated, 
as  regards  scenery;  and,  with  its  terraces,  plantation,  vegeta 
ble  and  flower  departments,  etc.,  will  soon  be  a  very  admira 
ble  place  of  resort  for  purposes  of  sanitary  toil,  or  retirement 
and  rest.  We  rejoice  that,  altogether,  the  establishment 
promises  to  be  a  very  decided  proof  of  provincial  advance, 
and  a  credit  to  the  country.  After  all  the  difficulties,  delays 
and  doubts  that  have  occurred,  this  is  a  very  gratifying  result. 
The  building  is  expected  to  be  ready  for  reception  of  patients 
sometime  in  September,  or  the  early  part  of  October." — 
Halifax  Morning  Sun,  June  14,  1858. 


HALIFAX.— The  following  letter  of  a  correspondent  of  the 
New  YorTc  Times  may  interest  the  reader.  It  is  a  very  fair 
account  of  the  aspect  of  the  chief  city  of  this  Province: 

"The  Lieutenant-Go vernor,  Sir  J.  Gaspard  le  Marchant,  is 
yaid  to  be  a  severe  disciplinarian.  He  served  in  the  wars  of 
the  Peninsula,  and  is  now  being  rewarded  for  his  distin 
guished  services  as  Governor  of  this  Province.  lie  reviews 
the  troops  twice  a  week  upon  the  Common,  and  is  very  strict. 
The  evolutions  of  the  rank  and  file  are  the  most  perfect  exhi 
bitions  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  witnessed.  During  one  of 
these  reviews  I  took  occasion  to  remark  to  a  citizen  that  they 
were  almost  equal  to  the  Seventh  Regiment  of  New  York. 
The  bystanders  laughed  incredulously.  The  bands  are  as  per- 


320  APPENDIX. 

feet  in  jaovement  as  the  troops.  The  whole  affair  passes  off 
literally  like  clock-work,  a  pendulum  being  kept  in  sight  of 
the  reviewing  officers,  by  which  to  measure  the  music  of  the 
bands,  and  step  of  the  soldiers.  Each  review  concludes  with 
a  presentation  of  the  royal  standard — the  identical  colors 
which  were  first  unfurled  upon  the  Redan  by  this  regiment  at 
the  fall  of  Sebastopol.  The  ceremony  is  impressive,  an  almost 
superstitious  reverence  being  paid  to  the  triumphant  bunting. 
The  review  ended,  the  band  remains  for  a  half  hour  to  play 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  citizens,  who  generally  attend 
in  large  numbers. 

"  There  are  among  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  62d  and 
63d  many  bearing  upon  their  left  breasts  the  Victoria  medal, 
and  other  decorations  bestowed  for  distinguished  bravery  at 
Sebastopol.  The  most  eminent  of  these  is  Colonel  Ingall,  who 
has  both  breasts  covered  with  these  testimonials  of  bravery. 
They  are  not,  however,  confined  to  the  officers,  but  nuny  of 
the  rank  and  file  are  favored  in  like  manner. 

"  The  military  as  a  whole  are  popular  among  the  citizens, 
and  many  of  the  officers,  and  not  a  few  of  the  privates  since 
their  return  from  the  Crimea,  have  stormed  other  Malakoffs, 
when  the  victory  has  been  as  signal,  if  the  risks  have  not 
been  as  great,  carrying  off,  as  trophies,  some  of  the  finest 
girls  in  the  place. 

"Upon  entering  this  harbor  from  the  sea  the  principal 
objects  of  interest  to  a  stranger  are  the  fortifications  which 
line  its  two  sides,  the  first  three  or  four  being  round  castles 
pierced  for  two  tiers  of  guns,  and  having  temporary  wooden 
roofs  thrown  over  them  to  protect  the  works ;  they  are  sit 
uated  upon  prominent  points  and  islands  commanding  both 
entrances.  The  first  principal  fort  is  that  situated  at  the 


APPENDIX.  321 

junction  of  the  'northwest  arm'  with  the  harbor.  This  is 
a  granite  structure  of  some  pretensions,  and  during  the  past 
season  was,  with  the  high  level  lands  which  surround  it, 
made  the  headquarters  or  camping-ground  for  the  troops. 
Tents  here  covered  all  the  hill-side,  presenting  a  very  pic 
turesque  appearance ;  camp  life  was  adopted  in  all  its  details, 
and  the  most  thorough  drilling  was  gone  through  with,  in 
cluding  the  digging  of  trenches,  throwing  up  earth- works,  etc. 
The  fortifications  upon  George's  Island,  just  below  the  town, 
are  being  extended  and  strengthened,  and  when  completed, 
will  be  the  principal  defence  of  the  harbor.  The  Citadel  or 
Fort  George,  occupies  the  high,  round  hill  which  rises  directly 
back  of  the  town,  to  about  three  hundred  feet  above  the  tide, 
and  perfectly  commands  the  town  and  adjacent  harbor.  There 
is  said  to  be  room  enough  within  its  walls  for  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  town,  to  which  they  could  retreat  in  case  of  a  siege. 
From  a  personal  inspection,  however,  I  judge  they  would 
have  to  pack  them  pretty  closely.  The  works  cover  an  area 
of  about  six  acres,  there  being  a  double  line  of  forts,  com 
posed  of  massive  granite,  and  presenting  every  variety  of 
angle.  A  ditch  twenty-five  feet  deep  and  sixty  feet  wide 
isurrounds  it  on  all  sides,  with  a  single  entrance  or  bridge- 
way,  on  the  east  side,  which  could  be  removed  in  an  hour. 
Two  ravelins,  which  have  been  lately  completed  within  the 
walls,  are  elegant  specimens  of  masonry.  The  whole  hill  is 
being  rounded  off,  and  a  line  of  earth-works  are  to  be  con 
structed  at  its  base  at  every  salient  angle.  The  parapet  is  now 
covered  at  wide  intervals,  with  32-pounders,  mounted  upon 
iron  carriages.  Extensive  changes  and  improvements  are 
being  adopted,  and  when  the  present  plans  are  complete,  thia 
fort,  it  is  said,  will  mount  over  400  guns.  The  cast-iron 

14* 


322  APPENDIX. 

swivel  carriages  are  condemned  as  being  too  liable  to  injury 
from  cannon-shots,  and  are  all  to  be  replaced  by  others  rnado 
of  teak-wood. 

"  There  exists,  evidently,  some  reluctance  among  the  officers 
in  command  to  a  close  inspection  of  these  works  by  foreign 
ers.  An  instance  in  point  occurred  to-day.  There  were  two 
young  men,  Americans,  looking  at  the  fort.  They  had 
obtained  permission,  which  is  given  in  writing  by  the  Quar 
termaster-General,  to  inspect  the  Signal-Station,  etc.,  but  they 
were  observed  with  paper  and  pencil  in  hand,  taking  down 
particular  memoranda  of  the  fortification,  the  size  of  guns, 
their  number,  the  positions  of  the  ravelins  and  what  not. 
As  this  was  considered  a  palpable  breach  of  courtesy,  a  ser 
geant  tapped  them  on  the  shoulder  and  led  them  out  of  the 
gate,  with  a  reprimand  for  what  he  called  their  want  of  good 
manners.  It  is  a  long  time  since  anything  of  the  kind  has 
occurred. 

u  This  Citadel  is  the  place  from  which  all  vessels  are  sig 
nalled  to  the  town.  The  signal  stations  are  four  in  number ; 
the  first  being  at  the  Citadel,  the  second  at  '  York  Redcut,' 
five  miles  down  the  harbor,  the  third,  *  Camperdown,'  some 
ten  miles  further,  and  the  fourth,  with  which  this  last  ,.;gnals, 
is  the  island  of  '  Sambro,'  ten  miles  south  of  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor.  The  system  is  carried  on  by  means  of  a  series 
of  black  balls,  which  are  hoisted  in  different  positions  upon 
two  yard-arms,  a  long  and  a  short  one,  placed  ?ne  above  the 
other  on  a  tall  flag-staff.  The  communication  is  very  rapid, 
and  is  exempt  from  liability  to  mistakes.  A  sentence  trans 
mitting  an  order  of  any  kind  from  one  of  the  lower  stations  is 
sent  and  received  in  less  than  two  minutes.  The  distance 
from  'Sambro,'  the  outer  station,  is  about  twenty  miles 


APPENDIX.  323 

from  the  Citadel.  Haryatt's  code  of  marine  signals  is  in  use 
here.  The  new  marine  code,  lately  issued  under  the  auspices 
of  the  London  Board  of  Trade,  'for  all  nations,'  is  pro 
nounced  by  the  operator  as  too  complicated  to  become  of  any 
practical  use,  necessitating,  as  it  would,  the  employment  of  a 
4  flag-lieutenant'  on  board  every  ship,  who  should  do  no 
thing  but  the  signalling,  since  not  one  captain  in  a  hundred 
would  ever  have  the  time  or  patience  to  acquaint  himself 
with  its  mysteries. 

"  Some  works  of  internal  improvement  are  in  progress, 
which  will  be  important  in  promoting  the  prosperity  and  in 
developing  the  resources  of  this  Province.  A  railroad  across 
the  Isthmus  to  Truro,  with  a  branch-road  to  "Windsor,  will 
connect  the  interior  towns  with  Halifax,  and  furnish  modern 
facilities  for  communication  with  the  other  Provinces  and 
with  the  States.  Twenty-two  miles  of  the  road  are  already 
completed,  and  the  remainder  will  be  finished  soon.  A  canal 
is  also  in  progress  from  the  head  of  Halifax  harbor  (north  side) 
in  the  direction  of  Truro,  which  is  to  connect  a  remarkable 
chain  of  lakes  with  the  Shubenacadie  River,  which  empties 
into  Minas'  Basin  at  the  head  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  Great 
results  are  anticipated  in  favor  of  the  farming  and  other  inter 
ests  along  its  route.  The  work  is  in  an  advanced  stage  to 
wards  completion. 

u  There  is,  it  is  said,  no  portion  of  the  American  Continent 
so  abundantly  supplied  with  water  communication  as  Nova 
Scotia.  The  whole  interior  is  a  continuous  chain  of  lakes. 
The  coast  is  rocky  and  most  unpromising,  but  the  interior  is 
said  to  contain  stfme  of  the  best  farming  land  east  of  Illinois. 
Hon.  Albert  Pillsbury,  the  American  Consul,  who  is  thoroughly 
conversant  with  the  resources  of  the  Province,  declares  it,  ic 


324:  APPENDIX. 

his  opinion,  the  richest  portion  of  the  American  Continent- 
richest  in  coal,  minerals  and  agricultural  resources.  Mr. 
Pillsbury  takes  advantage  of  his  well-deserved  popularity  in 
the  Province  to  tell  the  Blue  Noses  some  home  truths.  On 
one  occasion  he  told  them  it  was  evident  the  Lord  knew  they 
were  the  laziest  people  on  the  earth,  and  had,  therefore, 
taken  pity  on  them,  and  given  them  more  facilities  for  trans 
acting  their  husiness  than  were  possessed  by  any  other  people 
under  the  sun. 

"  In  the  newspaper  line  Nova  Scotia  appears  to  be  fully  up 
to  the  spirit  of  the  age.  The  following  is  a  list  of  all  kinds 
published  in  the  Province  : 

"  Tri-  Weeklies. — Morning  Journal,  Morning  Chronicle, 
Morning  Advertiser,  the  Sun,  and  British  Colonist. 

"  Weeklies. — Acadian  Recorder,  Nova  Scotian,  Weekly  Sun, 
and  Weekly  Colonist. 

u  Religious  (.?). — Church  Times,  Episcopal  ;  Presbyterian 
Witness,  Presbyterian  Church  of  Nova  Scotia,  etc. ;  Monthly 
Record,  Established  Church  of  Scotland  or  Kirk ;  Christian 
Messenger,  Baptist ;  Catholic,  Roman  Catholic ;  Wesleyan, 
Methodist 

"  Temperance, — The  Abstainer. 

"  Weeklies, — Yarmouth  Herald,  published  at  Yarmouth ; 
Yarmouth  Tribune  (semi-weekly)  ;  Liverpool  Transcript, 
Liverpool ;  Western  News,  Bridgetown ;  Avon  Herald  (semi- 
weekly),  Windsor ;  Eastern  Chronicle,  Pictou  ;  Antigonissh 
Casket,  Antigonish ;  Cape  Breton  News,  Sidney,  C.  B. 

"In  telegraphs  they  are  better  supplied  than  any  other 
portion  of  the  world  of  equal  territory,  and  *the  same  number 
of  inhabitants.  There  are  thirty-nine  offices,  and  1,300  miles 
of  telegraphic  wire  in  this  Province. 


APPENDIX.  325 

"  The  Reciprocity  Treaty  has  largely  increased  the  trade  of 
Nova  Scotia,  but  the  means  of  intercommunication  are  still 
far  behind  the  wants  of  the  people.  When  it  was  proposed 
a  year  ago  to  place  a  steamer  upon  the  line  from  Halifax  to 
Boston,  to  carry  freight  and  passengers,  the  idea  was  scouted 
as  chimerical,  and  certain  to  fail.  The  Eastern  State,  a  Phi-; 
ladelphia-built  propeller  of  330  tons,  was  purchased  and  com 
menced  to  ply  fortnightly ;  she  has  accommodations  for  fifty 
passengers,  and  two  hundred  tons  of  freight.  She  has  seldom 
had  less  than  fifty  passengers  upon  any  trip,  and  upon  the 
last  one  from  Halifax  there  were  one  hundred  and  sixty 
three.  The  fare  from  Boston  to  Halifax  is  $10,  meals  in 
cluded.  She  has  also  had  a  good  supply  of  freight,  and  has 
cleared  for  her  owners  the  last  year  over  $2,500.  Captain 
Killam,  her  commander,  is  highly  esteemed,  for  his  sailorly 
and  gentlemanly  qualities.  In  the  opinion  of  shrewd  busi 
ness  men,  a  steamer  would  pay  between  this  and  New  York 
direct.  At  present,  Boston  virtually  controls  the  fish-market 
in  part  by  her  intimate  relations  with  the  Provinces,  and 
New  York  buys  second-hand  from  them,  when  they  might  as 
well  have  their  fish  from  first  hands. 

"  Government  lands  are  to  be  purchased  in  any  quantity  at 
$1  per  acre,  and  by  an  act  of  the  Provincial  Legislature, 
aliens  are  as  free  to  purchase  as  native  citizens  or  residents. 
Several  American  capitalists  have  availed  themselves  of  the 
opening,  and  invested  largely  in  the  'timber  and  farming 
lands  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  an  infusion  of  this  element  is  all 
that  is  required  to  develop  a  prosperous  future  for  thia 
Province.' 


326  APPENDIX. 

"  TORIES  — The  number  of  loyalists  who  arrived  m  Nova 
Scotia  was  very  great.  They  constituted  a  large  proportion  of 
the  original  settlers  in  almost  every  section  of  the  colony.  So 
termed  because  of  their  loyalty  to  the  sovereign,  and  unwill 
ingness  to  remain  in  the  revolted  and  independent  States,  they 
found  their  way  hither  chiefly  in  the  years  1783-4.  Some 
times  termed  refugees,  because  of  their  seeking  refuge  on 
British  soil  from  those  with  whom  they  had  contended  in  the 
great  Revolutionary  struggle,  the  names  are  often  interchanged, 
whilst  sometimes  they  are  joined  together  in  the  title  of 
'Loyalist  Refugees.'  No  less  than  20,000  arrived  prior  to 
the  close  of  the  year  in  which  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States  was  acknowledged.  These  chose  spots  suited  to  their 
inclinations,  if  not  always  adapted  to  their  wants,  in  tho 
counties  of  Digby,  Annapolis,  Guysboro',  Shelburne,  and 
Hants.  In  these  five  counties,  for  the  most  part,  are  resident 
the  children  of  the  loyalists,  though,  as  hinted,  they  are  to  be 
met  with  in  smaller  companies  elsewhere. 

"  "We  cannot  doubt  that  the  purest  motives  and  highest  sense 
of  duty  actuated  very  many,*  though  not  all,  of  this  vast  num 
ber,  when  they  turned  their  backs  upon  the  houses  and  farms, 
the  pursuits  and  business,  the  friends  and  relations  of  past 
years.  To  this  may,  in  some  measure,  be  attributed  the 
marked  loyalty  of  this  province.  Principles  of  obedience  to 
the  laws,  and  allegiance  to  the  crown,  were  instilled  into  the 
minds  of  their  children,  who  in  their  turn  handed  down  the 
sentiments  of  their  ancestors  until  fie  good  leaven  spread,  and 
tended  to  strengthen  that  loyalty  which  already  existed  'in  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  More  than  once  has  this  trait  been  mani 
fested  by  our  countrymen  in  town  and  country.  When  the 
first  blood  of  the  rebellion  in  Canada  was  shed  in  1837,  meet- 


APPENDIX.  327 

ings  were  held  in  every  village  and  settlement  in  the  province, 
each  proclaiming  in  fervent  language  the  deepest  attachment 
to  the  sovereign  and  the  government,  while  in  Halifax  the 
people  determined  to  support  the  wives  and  children  of  the 
absent  troops.  When  two  years  later  the  inhabitants  of  the 
State  of  Maine  prepared  to  invade  New  Brunswick,  the  -an 
nouncement  was  received  with  intense  feelings  of  regard  for 
the  honor  of  the  British  Crown.  The  House,  which  was  then 
sitting,  voted  £100,000,  and  8,000  men  to  aid  the  New  Bruns- 
wickers  in  repelling  the  invaders,  and  rising  in  a  body  gave 
three  cheers  for  the  queen,  and  three  for  their  loyal  brethren 
of  the  sister  province.  Long  may  the  feeling  continue  to 
exist,  and  grow  within  our  borders !  long  may  we  remain 
beneath  the  mild  sway  of  that  gracious  queen,  whose  virtues 
shed  lustre  on  the  crown  she  wears !  long  may  every  Nova 
Scotian's  voice  exclaim,  '  God  save  our  noble  Queen.' " — Nova 
Scotia  and  Nova  Scotians,  ~by  REV.  GEO.  W.  HILL,  A.M. 

"  NEGROES. — There  are  to  be  found  in  the  colony  some  five 
thousand  negroes,  whose  ancestors  came  to  the  province  in 
four  distinct  bodies,  and  at  different  times.  The  first  class 
were  originally  slaves,  who  accompanied  their  masters  from 
the  older  colonies ;  but  as  the  opinion  prevailed  that  the  courts 
would  not  recognize  a  state  of  slavery,  they  were  liberated. 
On  receiving  their  freedom  they  either  remained  in  the 
employment  of  their  former  owners,  or  obtaining  a  small 
piece  of  land  in  the  neighborhood,  eked  out  a  miserable 
existence,  rarely  improving  their  condition,  bodily  or  mental. 

"  There  were,  secondly,  a  number  of  free  negroes,  who  ar 
rived  at  the  conclusion  of  the  American  Revolutionary  war ; 
but  an  immense  number  of  these  were  removed  at  their  own 


328  APPENDIX. 

request  to  Sierra  Leone,  being  dissatisfied  with  both  the  soil 
and  climate. 

"  Shortly  after  the  removal  of  these  people,  the  insurgent 
negroes  of  Jamaica  were  transported  to  ISTova  Scotia ;  they 
were  known  by  the  name  of  Maroons  in  the  island,  and  still 
termed  so,  on  their  landing  at  Halifax.  Their  story  is  replete 
with  interest :  during  their  brief  stay  in  Nova  Scotia  they  gave 
incredible  trouble  from  their  lawless  and  licentious  habits,  i  i 
addition  to  costing  the  government  no  less  a  sum  than  ten 
thousand  pounds  a  year.  Their  idleness  and  gross  conduct 
at  last  determined  the  government  to  send  them,  as  the 
others,  to  Sierra  Leone,  which  was  accordingly  done  in  the 
year  1803,  after  having  resided  at  Preston  for  the  space  of  four 
years. 

"  The  last  arrival  of  Africans  in  a  body  was  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  second  American  "War  in  1815,  when  a  large  number 
were  permitted  to  take  refuge  on  board  the  British  squadron, 
blockading  the  Chesapeake  and  southern  harbors,  and  were 
afterwards  landed  at  Halifax.  The  blacks  now  resident  in 
Nova  Scotia  are  descendants  chiefly  of  the  first  and  last  im 
portations — the  greater  part  of  the  two  intermediate  having 
been  removed.  Even  some  of  these  last  were  transported  by 
their  own  wish  to  Trinidad,  while  those  who  remained  settled 
down  at  Preston  and  Hammonds  Plains,  or  wandered  to  Wind 
sor  and  other  places  close  at  hand. 

"  But  little  changed  in  any  respect — their  persons  and  their 
property — they  have  passed  through  much  wretchedness  dur 
ing  the  last  half  century.  Their  natural  indolence  and  love 
of  ease  being  ill  suited  to  our  latitude,  in  which  a  long  and 
severe  winter  demands  unceasing  diligence,  and  more  than 
ordinary  prudence,  in  those  who  depend  upon  manual 


APPENDIX.  329 

for  their  means  of  subsistence.  Amongst  them,  however,  are 
to  be  found  a  few  who  are  prudent,  diligent  and  prosperous. 
These  are  worthy  of  the  more  esteem,  in  proportion  as  they 
have  met  with  greater  obstacles,  and  happily  have  surmounted 
them."— Ibid. 

EMINENT  MEN. — Besides  many  gentlemen  of  rare  talents, 
distinguished  in  the  annals  of  the  province,  the  following 
Nova  Scotians  have  won  a  more  extended  reputation:  Sir 
EDWARD  BELCHEE,  the  famous  Arctic  navigator  ;  Rear- Admiral 
PEOVO  WALLIS,  who  captured  our  own  vessel  the  Chesapeake, 
after  the  death  of  his  superior,  Captain  Brooke.  The  words 
of  Lawrence,  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship,"  record  the  memorable 
achievement  of  this  naval  officer.  DONALD  MoKAY,  who  after 
perfecting  his  education  in  New  York  as  a  ship-builder, 
removed  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  there  has  won  for  that 
city  distinguished  honors ;  THOMAS  C.  HALIBUKTON,  the 
author  of  "  Sam  Slick,"  and  a  great  number  of  other  clever 
books  ;  SAMUEL  CUNAED,  the  father  of  the  Canard  line  !  who 
does  not  know  him  ?  General  BECKWITH,  not  less  known  in 
the  annals  of  philanthropy  ;  GILBERT  STUAET  NEWTON,  artist; 
General  Inglis,  the  defender  of  Lucknow,  and  General  Wil 
liam  Fenwick  Williams,  the  hero  of  Kars.  The  mere  mention 
of  such  names  is  sufficient— their  eulogy  suggests  itself. 


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